Library now a ‘Media Center’
Students entering WHS’s library are greeted with the sights of comfortable chairs and couches, and a student-run coffee shop to the side.
This image has stark differences from prior years, where the library had more books and was filled with large wooden tables and chairs.
The transition of the library into more of a media center has been in the works for the past several years.
According to Principal Tyler Keener, before this year’s change in appearance, Director of Secondary Education Richard Leone reached out to Wooster Public Library for circulation purposes, and prior to that, the coffee shop General Grounds was added to the library by Intervention Specialist Holly Pope.
These changes have been in an effort to modernize the library and make it more of a communal space for students to work in.
“We have math lab and some intervention periods, but a library is a space where students and teachers can connect,” Keener said.
As the library has changed to appeal more to group activity, more students have been allowed to come from study halls. Beth Hart, the library paraprofessional, said eight students can come from each study hall most periods, with the exception of seventh period where this number has been cut back to four due to the number of study halls.
Keener said student reactions to the library’s changes have been positive, and many have enjoyed having more of a communal space in which to work.
Although the library has a more laid back atmosphere, the majority of people continue to work and use the library as the educational space it was intended for, Hart said. Keener said there have been some abuses of library use, resulting in revocation of library privileges for some students, but not many.
In future years, the library will continue to update. Keener mentioned updates like new carpeting, improvements to the coffee shop and a tech space to which students can look forward.
WHS’s library has modernized and will continue to do so.