Lakeside High School will host a grand opening Thursday to showcase the new, modern library designed to accommodate all of the school's students in grades 8-12.
The new library is located in the areas of the former junior high library, office and entrance on the west side of the building. Stony Evans, library media specialist, said Thursday's event will be a "celebration" of what the district has provided for its students.
"It's exciting to see kids peeking through the windows and excited to come into the school library," Evans said. "Kids 8-12 are excited to come in."
The grand opening will be open to visitors from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday. Student leadership will be on hand to lead tours and discuss the features of the library.
The Gable Bradley brand will perform during the event. Bradley and his brothers, Spencer and Tucker, are Lakeside alumni.
The library was one of four major projects Lakeside began last summer. The district committed about $2.4 million to the renovations.
At $650,000, the library was the most costly of the projects. Students at the primary and intermediate schools were able to enjoy their new playground, which cost about $640,000, at the start of the spring semester.
A $610,000 renovation project at Ram Field House was completed during the fall semester. A fourth project was undertaken to double the size of the indoor facility for baseball and softball.
Evans is joined in the library by fellow media specialist Misti Bell and Ray Borel, library assistant.
"It's such an active program and I knew that it would be best to keep two certified library media specialists," Evans said.
Renovations were needed to modify the existing space from the former junior high library and across the lobby to the office area. The library now houses all 12,000 print books from the former junior high and senior high libraries.
A circulation desk was placed in front of the old entrance to the west end. Students will be able to use the new entrance when they arrive at school in the morning and for other events held outside of school hours.
Separate sides of the library are organized to fit nonfiction and fiction purposes. The nonfiction side is located where the junior high library was positioned. Students can enter into either side through doors from the main hallway or through the central area around the circulation desk.
The nonfiction side was designed with a more "traditional" setting. It features more table space, standard seating and re-purposed shelving from the previous libraries.
Each side includes 28 laptop computers to complement the library's selection of books. A computer lab connected to the west side of the library will also be renovated.
Office space is placed near the computer lab, as well as a professional development room for teachers. The development room will also be used for storage of audio and visual selections. Students will have access to Mac computers in the library.
Both sides feature a large drop-down screen. Evans said each side can be used for instruction.
Bell discovered a design online for movable shelving used in the new library. The shelves were custom-built to fit the school's needs. Doors on either side of the circulation desk can separate each area into its own space.
Evans said designs of the fiction side, located where offices were formerly housed, were developed with a "21st century cafe" in mind. A small stage, wood flooring and movable furniture is designed to allow the space to be flexible for different types of events.
Outlets will be available for electronic devices throughout the library. Power strips that slide up from the surface can be found on several counters.
A game room on the fiction side includes five televisions, gaming systems, board games and other activities. Evans said the room is another way the library can attract students.
"We also want to encourage students to learn to code in this room," Evans said. "If they have a program they want to try, we can connect the computer to one of these five TVs."
A second room for teachers is also available on the fiction side.
"I've never seen anything like this in a public school library," Evans said. "So I am really excited, thankful and grateful that the administration and school board saw the value in this and invested in it for our kids.
"My next excitement is just to see what kinds of things we discover here in these spaces in the future. What kind of connections will students make outside of our school district? Because now we are beginning to Skype and Google Hangout with other schools in other countries. I think it is whatever we want it to be is what is going to happen here. I'm excited to see what happens."
Students have been able to access the library as needed, but it will be open for all purposes once the minor details of the renovation have been completed.
Local on 02/03/2016