The school library is a kind of studious safe space for those who resent the outdoor inconveniences of the quad and the crowd in the student center. During previous years, it could be counted on as a last-minute assignment submission savior or as a place to find some sort of peace of mind.
Starting this year, however, the number of computers in the library has been reduced by 20, a decision that makes the facility far less useful to students. Contemporary libraries should value the modern technology that so many people use every day. But the traditional role of libraries, particularly in schools, should not be completely abandoned either. As such, the library should restore their number of computers for a more appropriate school setting as well as maintain an abundant supply of physical books.
Because Google Drive, Canvas and many other online sites dictate students’ assignments, internet access is key for a functional academic space. More computers being brought back into the library helps create this kind of environment.
Students who don’t use personal laptops at school can be put at a disadvantage with even more limited access to school computers outside of classroom laptop carts. The mad dash to library computers for cramming in essays or submitting papers online would be made less stressful by having a more substantial number of computers there. Since the books students take from school are mostly textbooks and readings for English, there isn’t a lot of browsing in the public aisles of the school library. Nonetheless, the aesthetic of a library should still be upheld, as the traditional quiet atmosphere of most libraries is a huge reason why people visit them — for a solid time chunk of being in a public space where people feel the need to be quieter than normal.
With the influx of noise and crowds that halls and other indoor school spaces are prone to, the school library can be viewed as a getaway. The presence of books in a library ties that kind of environment together. The place is harder to be perceived as a library without some books.
Admittedly, the long bookshelves crowding one corner of the library are unnecessary for the most part. However, the thinner bookshelves of newer, more popular selections are still key to the library’s functioning and should occupy the library more than overly-stuffed shelves. Modern school libraries should accommodate the modern student’s needs. This entails a greater number of usable computers and the traditional atmosphere of a library, which altogether support academic efficiency and convenience.