The New JJHS Library
There are now more tables than bookshelves in John Jay High School’s library—and more students, too. With the exception of the tall shelves alongside two of the walls, books are shelved in short stacks. The result is an open space with several seating choices that invites students to share, learn, create and collaborate.
The library’s welcome now extends out into the wide hallway with several new high-top tables. Step inside and there’s a cart of 15 iPads and 15 laptops for students’ use. No need to sign them out. “The expectation is that they stay in the library, which they do,” said Library Media Specialist Lauren Carrigan.
On one recent morning, about 40 students were in the high school library. Less than half sat at standard and high-top tables in the designated “quiet section” of the library, reading and working on computers. Almost all were plugged in—the new purple and gray upholstered benches have built-in power and charging ports beneath.
The other end of the basketball-court-size room, far enough to be out of earshot, was the more popular “communal section.” Students and staff were gathered around tables, speaking in groups of two, four, and more. The chairs roll and it’s easy to expand the circle. Two students sat talking on a curved couch in another new section where gray rolling café tables and purple ottomans created an oasis to unplug and relax.
Two new conference rooms at the end of the room are the only spaces with doors, allowing for loud collaboration or quiet test-taking. The collaborative work rooms have power in the tables, AirPlay-compatible monitors and white boards for brainstorming. Teachers can reserve these rooms. Otherwise, they are first-come, first-served.
“The recently-completed redesign addresses our students’ increasingly social approach to learning and studying,” said Library Media Specialist Lauren Carrigan.