Hickman’s Library has undergone a major change in how it is being utilized this school year. Rather than being an alternate location for students to go during study halls, the Library is focusing on creating a space that prioritizes teachers bringing their classes for instruction.
Prior to this year, the Library was often full of students from study halls who were allowed to leave because of their Purple and Gold Cards. Library Media Specialist Julie Ryan felt that this crowd discouraged teachers from bringing their classes in.
“There were a lot of classes that did not want to come in…to use the space and to have lessons in here,” Ryan said.
Since this change, Ryan has noticed an increase in the number of classes coming to the Library both for lessons and for an alternate space for activities.
“We had a teacher bring down a class last week for a Socratic Seminar because the classroom [they] are in is all tables…so it was really hard [for them] to create that space,” Ryan said.
English teacher Timothy (Matt) May said he has thought about the Library “as an option” more this year.
Media Center Assistant Fifer Matteson (11) has also noticed the increase in classes but also noted the overall decrease in people.
“There’s always classes coming in…but then it’s kind of a little bit more empty,” Fifer said.
However, some teachers, like English teacher Melissa (Missy) Barnes say they are less likely to bring their classes down this year.
“I know that the library is sort of trying to work out the kinks of when students can come down and when they can’t, so I’m sort of trying to respect that,” Barnes said.
Despite this confusion, Ryan was excited that the increased number of classes coming to the Library was exposing more students to the Library that may not have gone there otherwise.
“We want to make sure that everybody in the building is getting an opportunity to be in here for something,” Ryan said.
Ryan hoped that English classes wouldn’t be the only classes to take advantage of the Library’s space.
“We also hope that then it offers up some opportunities from areas like math and science, where …they might want to use this space because the instruction that they’re doing will benefit from [it],” Ryan said.
In addition to having more lessons in the Library, Ryan hoped to have more activities as well.
“[We are hoping] to have a take-and-make event where people can make soup kits or hot chocolate kits,” Ryan said.
However, because of this change in priorities, the Library is currently closed to students during study halls, a change that has frustrated and perplexed many Hickman students.
“The library’s been open for study hall [for] a long time. I don’t really fully understand why this happened…I feel like the new policies are a little bit harsh,” Clarity Milarsky (11), an avid user of the Library, said.
For many students, the Library provides an environment that is more ideal for studying than their study halls.
“I have ADHD myself so I am big into study hacks…so the library was always kind of a nice place for me to go…and knock out an hour and a half of work,” Clarity said.
With the Library being closed for study halls, Clarity has had difficulty focusing in her “loud” study hall.
Clarity’s friend, and fellow Library lover, Carly Christiansen (11) agreed that the Library has some resources that cannot be recreated in her study hall.
“The library has some textbooks, and I don’t want to be lugging my textbooks around, [so] if I want to do textbook notes at school, it [was] nice to be able to come to the library,” Carly said.
Ryan knows that students miss the ability to go to the Library during study halls and is working toward a solution.
“We are hopeful to be back open for study halls when…we don’t have a class in here, but we’re waiting on some other things from Admin to make sure that we can do that the right way,” Ryan said.
Ryan was concerned about how teachers would decide who was able to go to the Library with the absence of Purple and Gold Cards this year.
This worry was echoed by Barnes.
“When they got rid of Purple and Gold Cards, it really changed things,” Barnes said.
However, students Fifer and Clarity had suggestions on how the Library could adjust.
“Opening [the library], maybe not for everybody, but for people wanting to work quiet[ly],” Fifer suggested.
Clarity agreed, adding her overall opinion on the new policy.
“I definitely think that the whole total ban on study hall is a little bit harsh, but I feel like there could be some tweaks that…allow students to come up here if they need a silent place to work,” Clarity said.
Ryan understood the students’ frustrations but still wanted to highlight the positives the changes have brought.
“It’s gonna take some time and everything, but we’re working to get it to be…the best of both worlds,” Ryan said.
