Library media specialists need to embrace brain research and implement its findings into the teaching of information literary skills. Research in the past two decades has used imaging techniques to allow the study of brain functions when listening to music versus composing a song or when recalling a noun or verb. Imaging allows researchers to look inside a brain and see those active areas that are at play when an individual is engaged in mental activity. Through brain research, educators can learn why certain teaching strategies and activities work best to increase student learning. The library media specialist should design a setting for learning that takes into account the environment and the emotions of students. These two factors have a major impact on how students learn and whether they will have a desire to come to the library media center for learning activities. This article discusses several factors in the environment that must be present in order for students to learn actively: (1) The environment must be safe and non-threatening; (2) The environment must be warm and welcoming; (3) The learning environment must allow attention-getting gimmicks to be used in instruction to hold student attention; (4) The learning environment must provide meaningful instruction if attention is to be sustained; (5) The learning environment should provide the underpinning of emotion as a tool to promote learning and retention; (6) The learning environment should support students learning about how they learn; and (7) Learning environments need to be low in threat and high in challenge.