WOODBURY — “Quiet down everyone; this is not the cafeteria,” Nonnewaug library media specialist Deborah Flaherty often yells at the packed library media center from behind her desk. But the lively chatter always manages to fill the room again, and any semblance of a peaceful library is drowned out by conversation.
The LMC is a popular spot for students, but between the crowds of people coming in from study halls and those wandering in from classes, its atmosphere does not always match that of a conventional library. Flaherty sees the bright side of this — to a certain extent.
“I like the term ‘productive noise.’ I think a library does not need to be silent as it used to be … because that means there’s collaboration and socialization going on,” says Flaherty. “But as much as I like socialization, I’m not a fan when the socialization becomes just hanging out.”
Although some people use the Maker’s Space or engage in productive discussions, it is not uncommon to find the couches and tables packed with students immersed in their phones or chatting idly. While the librarians are not entirely opposed to this, it raises the question of whether most students that frequent the LMC are aware of the wide range of resources it offers.
“We have a lot of audio books and e-books in our digital library. … I think that it is a resource that, for some kids who are not inclined to read, they might like the format better,” says Flaherty. “I advertise it, I tell teachers about it, but I don’t think it has quite caught on yet.”
The library’s online resources extend beyond just this. Not only are there digital reading materials available, but students can also peruse the physical books that are available from their computers.
“Kids can also look at what books we have on their own by searching the library catalog. I don’t think they realize that either,” Flaherty observes.
For finding studies or articles about any topic, the databases in the Google Classroom or LMC website prove invaluable, especially for students in classes involving major research-focused projects like AP Seminar or AP Research.
“[The website] has been incredibly helpful in research, as it not only narrowed down results and content, it provided credible sources that I could rely on,” former AP Seminar student Anna Mylus recalls. “This was especially crucial in classes like Seminar, which emphasize the necessity of fact-checking.”
For students in these classes, the library space itself is also a critical resource.
“I utilized the library as a meeting point and means to work on group projects and presentations,” Mylus states. “Without it, we wouldn’t have had a convenient place to meet.”
When the library is overly congested with people who are not using the space for its intended purpose, it can occasionally create problems for students in these presentation-based classes.
“Without the bubble rooms, we would’ve likely faced issues with progress,” Mylus said. “Not always having a given space was somewhat difficult, as I remember it was harder to focus.”
Besides the variety of tools and materials at students’ disposal that often go unnoticed, the librarians themselves sometimes feel underutilized.
“People don’t know that I was an editor for a magazine and that I am capable of proofreading essays, editing their work. … I love when people discover me for that purpose,” says library assistant Dawn Maletzke. “I have a bachelor’s degree and a lot of experience, so it’s nice when people recognize that I have more to offer than checking out books.”
Maletzke also supervises the library after school and believes that, in spite of all the students that come during the day, many students do not know that the space is available for them after school hours.
To promote more knowledge of all the valuable resources the LMC has to offer other than being an area for students to hang out, the librarians believe that there should be more opportunities to assemble students and advertise themselves and the library space.
“If I don’t know [the students], then they don’t know me, and that means they don’t know what the library offers,” says Flaherty.
Ultimately, the librarians welcome all students no matter what resources they hope to use.
“If people are clearly here to socialize and they’re not respectful of other people, that’s when it becomes a problem. But it’s a safe place and hopefully a place people feel comfortable coming to,” says Maletzke.
“Kids come because they need a place to study, or they want to read. Sometimes they come down for meetings,” says Flaherty. “The library is really kind of the hub for whatever is needed, as it should be.”
