The Library Advisory Board is a beam of hope for students to have input within the library. Over recent years, the library has been a center for controversy, from many upset with the four-to-a-table rule as well as the constant flocks of students in the library during lunch. Jennifer Swan, Library Department Chair and Upper School librarian, decided to create the board to combat issues within the library and to allow students to have input about library policies.
“I started to notice that study rooms circulate at a fast rate; however, the books do not circulate at as fast of a pace,” said Ms. Swan.
Because of this and the other controversial issues, Ms. Swan decided to form an advisory board. She created a Google form where students could express their interest in being members of the board, and sent it out to the entire Upper School.
“I definitely did not expect to get the amount of responses I got, but it was open to anyone who was intrigued by it,” Ms. Swan said.
The board is comprised of 25 members, the majority of whom are from the 10th grade. They are divided into four different committees: book selection, book displays, library involvement, and puzzles, games, and programs. The members chose what committee they wanted to be on.
The board has already met twice, and the main aim of the board and sub-committees is to increase student participation within the library besides just utilizing the study rooms and tables.
Sophomore Caitlin Morrow was eager to join the board when the email was sent out.
“I love reading, and so I chose the book selection committee. I often found that the books I wanted to read that I knew were popular were not available in the library, so I wanted to help them out with that,” Caitlin said.
Though they have only had a few meetings so far, Caitlin already sees so much progress.
“They have taken a good amount of suggestions to heart, and I know that there are so many other subcommittees working hard as well,” Caitlin said.
The creation of these committees and the openness to receiving suggestions marks a pathway of new opportunities for student input and involvement in the library.
