Over the past year, Park has been working on one of the many renovations contributing to the school’s new look — the library/media center. While other upgrades to areas like the cafeteria or classrooms largely focused on modernization, this upgrade expanded the space overall, adding more opportunities to how it can be used.
Media center specialist Alison Tsuchiya Theiler said the library expansion allowed additions of a lot of new features.
“It is much bigger, there are four small group workspaces that teachers can send students down to use,” Tsuchiya Theiler said. “There’s more seating, there’s a lot more book space and there’s a new classroom as well as an office space.”
Media center teacher’s aide (TA) Iris Flink said the new library has already become an enjoyable place to hang out.
“I really enjoy sitting there,” Flink said. “During my TA hour, if there’s not a ton to put back or do, I get to study, and it’s a super peaceful place with lots of new places they’ve made with fun chairs or little corners that you can study in.”
According to Tsuchiya Theiler, the new spaces will benefit a wide range of people at Park. She said she hopes it will give teachers and students more ways to use their time outside of the regular classroom.
“Teachers will be able to use the space in ways that they weren’t able to before,” Tsuchiya Theiler said. “In their classrooms, you only have a certain amount of space (and) you can’t spread students out, so now that there’s more space, they will be able to utilize the space for class projects or when you want to break your kids up or have them have discussions. Then, for students, it’s nice too because your learning is impacted when you can have physical space and mental space.”
Flink said she’s looking forward to using the new spaces throughout her normal school day, especially when she needs a quieter place to work.
“Me and my friends, we want to use some of the study rooms during study halls because either you or your teacher can book them and go there instead of your loud study hall or wherever you’re going,” Flink said. “Even if it’s just a normal class and it’s work time, you can go to the library, so I’m excited for that.”
Senior Lizbeth Rodriguez said having to use the at-large lab as a temporary media center space last year didn’t bother her, and ended up providing a good change of pace.
“(The temporary space) was really good, I actually really liked it,” Rodriguez said. “I kind of prefer that one since it was less complicated. Even though there wasn’t much room, you could still find everything.”
According to Flink, the smaller space was good, but she’s glad to have a bigger space back to provide more room for students.
“I think (the temporary space) worked pretty well,” Flink said. “It was kind of unfortunate, it was also part of the ‘don’t want kids to skip class’ thing, but most kids couldn’t just go there and be there for study hall or get a pass from their teacher, which was unfortunate just because of the space constraints. I’m hoping with the big library people can start doing that.”
Tsuchiya Theiler said she thinks the library/media center renovation was done to add to Park’s modernization of the school overall.
“I wasn’t involved in (the decision),” Tsuchiya Theiler said. “Just like the rest of the building, I don’t think the old media center space was updated since like 19-something, and it was just dank and dark like some of the (now renovated) classrooms and hallways.”
According to Rodriguez, the library needed an upgrade simply because it had become outdated, and after seeing the renovations, it was the right decision.
“I don’t really remember much of the old library, but I just know that it was kind of old, I’m guessing that’s why they renovated it,” Rodriguez said. “It was still good, I really liked it, but I think the renovations were necessary.”
