By Angel Sabater |
Only a few months ago in March, the Library Transformation Plan was an idea that was brought up by former school librarian, Mary Jane McClendon. The librarians gathered ideas through google forms, from public library patrons, library staff, teachers, administrators and students on what they wanted to change about the library. They also organized a meeting with the Library Advisory Committee conference first semester of last year and this past October marked the beginning of the five year Library Transformation Plan.
“It feels good knowing that there is a change in the library,”school librarian, Anna Denney said. “I like how we are making it more accessible for the students as well as the public patrons.”
The Transformation Plan involved changing the public and school side. Here are a few things that have already changed:
- Getting new books, shelves and furniture
- Moving teen fiction for both public and school away from adult fiction on right near teen area
- Teen non-fiction moved to Spanish section
- Movies moved to make a seating area and multi-space
- Mangas moved to where the magazines were at
- New movable shelves
- Circular seating in the manga area
- Benched seating back to back in the old magazine area
- Take out huge shelf in graphic novel section to make a charging station and circular seating
- Manga moved to make teen area
“So now we are getting to the part where we actually start to move things around,” head school librarian, Lynnette Perez said. “Adult books are on the left side of shelves and on the right we are going to put the San Antonio teen books and our school books together, so that way they have their own unique area with things more appropriate for them. So things are going to be a mess for a few months as we move things and as the furniture starts coming and moving shelves. Everything is here, but students may need to ask where to find it for the time being, because it could change from one week to the next.”
Initially, the teen fiction and adult fiction were together in shelves, but are being moved away from each other, making it easy and less frustrating to find the books students and public patrons are looking for.
“I feel as if it’s bringing light to things and they are giving the books a different place at least,” freshman, Shaquin Richardson said.
This past October marked the beginning of the plan and there is already many changes to the library.
“It’s a little strange, but I think it’s all working out pretty good,” junior, Campbell Brantley said. “Having the graphic novels get their own little space and the manga having it’s own space was a good idea.”
