By Jessica Correa—

The library is renovating. Not only will there be improvements to the physical appearance of the library but there will also be a great deal more media opportunities. However, there is not enough space for the new media and all of the old books.

According to Mrs. McGinnis, library media specialist, the library is going to remove about half of the books. Reference materials, encyclopedias, indexes, and other large books will be given to any teacher who may want them. These large books are more easily accessible via the internet and they are more current as well. Various other books will be given to teachers in the various departments, art books for the art classes, biology books for the science teachers, and the like. These books will continue to be available in various teachers’ classrooms.

Students will have a great deal of power to search and read all types of material by way of the chrome books that they will be receiving next year. The use of technology will aid students in their quest for education. However they will not need to search a data base and go from book to book looking for information.

The new technology for doing research will mean the final end of card catalogs, whether they are digital catalogs or actual paper cards. Actually, the library still has the cabinet that held the cards, where students would rifle through cards that represented individual books. Then they would use these various books as sources for their research papers.

The library still possesses the actual card catalog cabinet used in our library up until the 1980’s when the cataloging system became electronic. Winnebago was the first electronic system used at PHS and was used until the current Destiny system. Mr. Petrella and Mr. Garcia, of the Industrial Arts Department, are in the process of refinishing the old card catalog and it will be displayed as an antique artifact in the new library when it is finally set up.

The library will now focus on more technological sources of reading and education. E-books will be available. Opinions vary as to whether the removal of books from the library is a good or a bad idea. While some students have said that they like the feel of a “real” book, others are wholeheartedly on board with the new technological advancements.

All of the books are not leaving the library, paperbacks, new books, and other popular books will remain. In other words, books that were popular before will still be available and the library is adding new technology along with the rest of PHS to help our students learn faster and easier than ever before.