Jackie Huang’24
Last school year, Mr. Jonathan Golden, Director of Library Services at St. Mark’s, introduced new plans for the reconfiguration of the Library. This included study pods, moving shelves, new furniture and much more. Over the summer, these ideas have been solidified and updated. According to Mr.Golden, the process has been divided into 2 phases: Carpeting and Furniture.
Carpeting
All the carpeting will be replaced. To do that, the reference section will now be moved into the magazine room, thus removing the current shelving. These changes will likely happen over winter break.
Furniture
Although the final colors and shapes are still being finalized, students can expect a significant upgrade in the new furniture and its orientation once we return from spring break.
As mentioned in an article from last year, the library council continues to aim to more effectively utilize the library and provide the community with a flexible and diverse learning environment. Following these phases, there will be additional changes.
The current reading lounge will be moved and transformed to a reading nook towards the back of the first floor (near the stained glass) in which new shelving will partition it off. The proximity to the windows will allow more natural light and resolve the issue of noise levels: that often flows into quiet spaces and the parkman room. The empty area will then be filled with collaborative workspaces, including study pods and tables, which would likely be covered by more traditional shelving.
Further ahead, with more complex architectural changes, there may be more reconfiguration to the circulation desk and library offices. Modernizing and possibly turning some to extra faculty offices.
Though the upper floor and more ideas are still in the works, carpeting and furniture are the immediate focus. Hopefully, students can soon enjoy a newly upgraded space!