After years of idly sitting by while other major renovation projects were in the works, the library at MHS is finally receiving a massive overhaul going into the new 2018-2019 school year.

Not only will this new project update all of the physical structures of the current space for the first time since it was built, but it will allow students to interact and communicate with each other in a variety of beneficial new ways.

“Planning for this renovation has been very exciting and has given us an opportunity to examine the library program and expand on ways to make it better,” school librarian Mrs. Lynn Reynolds said. “The newly designed MHS library will continue to be the hub of the school and turn the library into a multi-use facility that promotes cooperation between students.”

As in any other school the library acts as a center for student resources and a lot of thought has gone into rebuilding the traditional space to suite the needs of the school. Architects working on the project have consequently planned to rebuild the space “floor to ceiling” for the benefit of MHS students and the community.

When planning for the new structure of the facility, the architects and respective staff in the high school are making sure to focus around “flexibility” as a key factor for making the library more suitable for peers. In order to embrace a true modern type of working environment the entirety of the library will be completely redone from the ground up.

“The new space will take advantage of today’s technology with a fresh 21st century look that meets the needs of today’s students,” librarian Mrs Jill O’Connor said.   

Even though the project is still in progress, many new exciting features are planned to be included in the renovation shifting the library to a more modern-day type of working space. This new atmosphere will include new circulation desks, lounge pieces for a more comfortable study area, and charging stations for chromebooks.

The space will also include separate glass areas for group study sessions. This will allow students to get any extra study hours with their classmates right in the heart of the school.

“With these new features the library will be a much more inviting and versatile space for students that will fit in terms of technology” Massapequa High School principal Mr. Patrick DiClemente said. “Different types of students, such as a student who prefers a quiet area versus a student who wants to work in a group, will be able to find these specific types of accomodations.”

Plans for the “re-imagining” of the school library have been submitted by architects even though they are still subject to change. To make space for all of these new exciting features, project managers plan to remove the side offices from the current library to make the library even grander in scale. While many of the new additions/features of the space have been finalized, aspects including the final layout and color palette are to be determined.

All of the staff involved in the project is making sure to work around the clock in hopes that construction will begin by the end of the school year to meet the expected finishing date of this upcoming September. If finished in time, the library will act as a great resource for new students to learn the ins and outs of the high school and the coursework for a variety of challenging classes the school offers.

“Everything and everything that has to do with library – events helping the library, meetings, video conferences – floor to ceiling everything will be gutted. The architect came in, took a look at space and designed a layout. The instructional area will remain” Librarian Mrs. Reynolds said. Some of the areas will include “Flexible seating and power ports in some of the tables for an easier way for students to stay connected.”

Despite many of these changes many traditional elements of the current library will still remain. Moving forward the newly renovated library will continue to stay open till 5:00 pm and offer students a wide array of physical books/textbooks even though embracing more modern technological features. In addition to this, the library will continue to offer traditional after-school programs and will further facilitate classroom discussions by embracing the new makerspace areas.

The librarians and administrators are more than pleased to be part of this transition in Massapequa High School which will change both the way that students and faculty members work. The collaborative maker spaces for instance can act as great spaces for planning out future meetings/events for clubs or for getting work done on a group project from a class.  

“Nothing major has ever been redone in the library on this scale” Mrs. Reynolds said. “It will be nice to have a fresh new room that showcases student artwork and the community.”

Between the soon to be renovated library and new cyber cafe facilities, students have more opportunities and resources than ever at MHS to excel in their high school careers moving forward.