Shortly after the beginning of the year, it seemed as if books were disappearing from the library. Whole rows of shelves were completely gone, and even though there was more space to sit and read, there was also more confusion as to where the books were.

Librarian and media center technician Renee Isom explains that the books did not go anywhere, but that the library space was re-organized for a more open layout. According to Isom, many of the shelves were only half full.

“We counted our shelves, how many books were on every shelf, and figured that we could take shelves, move them around so that we could see wall to wall, and create this open space for the tables to come in and have more of an instructional space,” Isom said.

Along with moving books to empty shelves, Isom also, “weeded” which means that she took old reference books, books that appeared heavily damaged, or books that had digital copies,  and removed them from circulation.
Isom’s main goal, she said, was to make the library a more welcoming place for everyone in the community(in and outside the school), which is why she allows students to check out books even if they do not have their identification (the library has a database of students and their pictures) and why she opened the library’s front doors.
“If you walk in the front door and see a big sign on the library doors that says ‘Do Not Enter’, that’s the worst advertisement for a library. I want this to be a space where students can come in to read, relax and get information.”