NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. — Oak Glen High School in Hancock County is taking a new approach to library science. Instead of a room filled with books, the school library is now a multi-media center.
First-year Principal David Smith said it just didn’t make sense to keep the school’s library as is.
“It was an area that we weren’t even using. It’s a huge room and we wanted to give all our kids an opportunity to utilize it,” explained Smith.
Over the summer, Smith invited teachers and school supporters to help with the project. Teachers sorted through thousands of books and kept about 2,500 they felt were still important to have in print. Parents and boosters came in and painted the room. Then they turned the former library into a new-use space that contains 36 Kindles, 35 multi-media labs and lots of room for research.
“We are going to be able to order additional books, Kindles for students to read and hopefully another mobile lab,” explained Smith.
A once empty room is now filled with students every day according to the principal. Students come in on their own to use the computers and Kindles and several teachers are taking advantage of the multi-media space to hold class. Overall, Smith said the response to the change has been positive.
“The reaction…it was positive from the people that we had here and the people that knew we were going to make some decisions for the better of the school,” stressed Smith.
As for some criticism, Smith said he expected a little. However, the project is far from finished. They hope to raise more money to update the library with the latest technology to help students succeed.
“We have a long way to go. We’re definitely headed in the right direction!”