If you’ve been to the Andrew Mellon Library this school year, you may have noticed the clear, rectangular box in the reading room covered with a sea of colorful sticky notes. This isn’t a new piece of artwork that the School has invested in — although it does seem to have the potential of becoming quite a sophisticated piece of Cubist artwork. Instead, this box is one of the library’s many new features implemented this year aimed at improving student life and academic resources.
At the suggestion of the Student Council, and under the initiative of Dr. Sherry Newman, Director of the Andrew Mellon Library, the decades-old library has received some upgrades. First, the library is increasing its supply of required class textbooks. If all goes as planned, every single textbook required in any Choate class will be on reserve at the library. Next, the library has created a new multimedia room, equipped with many tools for project-based learning, including green screens, tripods, iPads, editing software, and even a vinyl-cutting machine. Finally, the library has been trying to generate more student input on books. Whiteboards and the sticky note-covered rectangular boxes have been placed throughout the library to give students a place to share what they are reading at the moment. Similarly, students can post book recommendations and reviews on the library’s website.
JeWon Im ’23 said, “I really like the new ‘What Are You Reading?’ boards. I was looking at them and I saw that someone was reading The Maze Runner and they really liked it, so I went and checked it out. It also really helps that the boards are right in the library, so you can get the books immediately in case you’re like me and forget things easily.”
In addition, the Writing Center, which has long been a great resource for students to receive peer feedback on their writing, has been moved to the back room behind the circulation desk. To complement the Writing Center, the library is also working on creating a math tutoring center to provide math extra help.
Kiki Kim ’20, a tutor at the Writing Center, said that the relocation was a smart move. “Before, the Writing Center was in the silent study area, so whenever we were giving advice to our tutees, we would feel slightly embarrassed whenever we spoke, since everything was so quiet. We had to do everything in a whisper. But it’s so much better now, since it’s in a less quiet area, so we get to engage with our tutees more. It’s very freeing.”
These library changes to improve student life were overdue, according to Dr. Newman. “I think the library was seen as a study space and a repository for books, and I wanted it to be more than that,” said Dr. Newman. “I wanted it to be a student-driven center that provided a space that not only provided study space, but also provided space for support where we do the academic support sessions and where we do the math center. I also wanted to incorporate the student voice, where they help create and curate the book collection here.”
Dr. Newman hopes that these new features, especially the new multimedia room, will improve the student academic experience within the classroom as well. “This is a student space where you can be creative, and you can go beyond those PowerPoint presentations and create really incredible projects,” she said.
These new changes are already starting to benefit the Choate community by making the library much more vibrant and resourceful. However, the creativity and innovation that the library can hold ultimately comes down to the enthusiasm of the students using it. So, don’t forget to come check out the library’s new features!
