It’s a crisp Monday morning, and Westridge is slowly waking up as a steady stream of students walk onto campus. Some head to their lockers or the Commons. Others head to the library. Despite the early morning hour, you can hear everything from shrieks to raucous laughter to the occasional opera aria. Students play card games, cozy up on sofas, and even fill in coloring pages. This is not uncommon, and many students have grown accustomed to random interjections between study rounds. In moments like these, the library’s role is much more than a silent space.

After its construction in 2017, lower schoolers were not allowed in the library after school and were only allowed to use the communal computers—which are no longer offered. During middle school, there were allocated parts of the day for certain divisions’ use of the library. Now in 2024, the library is open to all, at any time.

Westridge Librarian Mx. Stevie Bolton has curated the library into the environment students know today. “[The library] has moved away from more of…this ‘shushy’ space, into a place where students can come together for community building, homework, or games,” said Bolton. They continued, “My goal for the library is to make it a community space.”

The Library’s Role for Students and Teachers

With the amount of foot traffic it receives, the library is a prime location for many students to socialize and collaborate. 

Lower schoolers frequently come to the library to interact with middle and upper schoolers. 4th grader Aliya P. said, “Our friends are there—high school ones, too.”

On the academic side, Lilian L. ’25 said, “I’ve worked on a lot of group projects for class there, as well as posters and flyers for clubs and extracurriculars.” 

On a day-to-day basis, the library becomes a hub for student, librarian, and social interactions. Mx. Bolton hosts their Middle School student book club; lower schoolers have their DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) class; and many students read, play card/board games, or study. At any given moment, at least two students are conversing with Mx. Bolton and Library Assistant Ms. Tsia Harris at their desks. 

Most students are attracted to the library due to its convenience. Besides its central location between the Lower, Middle, and Upper School campuses, it’s one of few printing locations and has comfortable furniture. “The resources are gathered in one place so I don’t have to run around,” said Lilian. She added, “It’s ideal.”

Additionally, the Mx. Bolton and Ms. Tsia duo are available to help students with research, citations, and technology issues. Kristen D. ’25 said, “It’s really nice if I need help to [be able to] find someone really fast in the library.” History Teacher Ms. Jennifer Cutler added, “Mx. Bolton is actually an instructional librarian, so their strength and their background and their expertise is teaching library research skills.”

Ms. Cutler also takes advantage of the library for class, occasionally reserving the space to host lessons on historiography, research databases, and methodology with Mx. Bolton. “I want students to think of research as more than just the Internet, because when they go off to institutions, they will have access to books,” said Ms. Cutler, continuing, “I associate research with libraries, so it just makes sense to put [my class] in the library.”

Challenges to a Shared Space

Because the library is a shared space for working and socializing, it can be challenging to meet all student needs at the same time.  

Studying and silence—the traditional culture of libraries—have grown rarer and rarer. 

Ximena A. ’25 said, “When the lower schoolers are here, it can be quite hard to work sometimes. It’s extremely loud. So I usually don’t work in here when it’s really loud.” 

Similarly, Miranda F. ’25 said, “It’s so annoyingly loud; I hate it. It just seems antithetical to the whole idea of a library, especially when it’s the only supposedly dedicated quiet place on campus. It’s frustrating that it doesn’t even fulfill that function.”

On the other hand, Ilyana P-F. ’28 said, “Sometimes, I’m just not studying…but that’s on me, not on the library.” 

Students looking for quieter study environments often seek out other spaces. Piper H.M. ’28 uses empty classrooms as a study space instead.

It’s not a bad solution, but classroom availability is limited during the school day.

Mx. Bolton understands that there are students who prefer the library to be a quiet space, but they also recognize that the library is shared amongst all divisions. “One space cannot be all things to all people. I would love it if we had a dual library space where we could have a quiet floor and more of a community space.” 

They continued, “A fourth grader needs different things from the library than a sophomore needs, or than a senior needs, or than a seventh grader. So I do try to be thoughtful about how I can support different kids where they are.” 

Meeting the needs of students in the 21st century has often meant re-designing and re-thinking learning spaces, particularly libraries. Neighboring school Flintridge Preparatory plans to dedicate the first floor of their library as a Learning Commons and the second a research center in 2025. 

At Brentwood School, librarians and specialists collaborate with faculty to assist students on research and technology. Brentwood has two unique libraries on campus—one designated for middle schoolers, the other for high schoolers—both housing up to five study rooms. Legend M. ’25, a current student at Brentwood, feels that the study rooms are essential for providing a space solely for academic purposes. 

In 2022, the University of California, Los Angeles also remodeled the Charles E. Young Library into a “Collaboratory,” introducing a study lounge, cafe, and meeting rooms—and still offering technological resources—to foster collaboration between students.

On the other hand, schools across the nation are phasing out designated library spaces. The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics stated that 8,830 public schools across the nation do not have a school library; and at schools with libraries, 17,000 do not have a full or part-time state-certified school librarian on staff. Furthermore, school librarians across the nation decreased by 19.5% from 2009 to 2019. 

Mx. Bolton said, “I think as long as we are sharing information, librarians are going to be needed…what changes is the medium in which we work.” 

Despite the spatial limitations, one aspect remains true for Westridge’s library: students can come for any reason they choose. Whether a junior hunkers down on her U.S. History reading, a 7th grader navigates ProQuest, or a 5th grader finishes her art piece, the library’s role is to provide a space in which to do so. 

Mx. Bolton said, “Something I’ve been really wanting to do…[is] form some sort of Student Advisory Board…Having a group of students that is here to give me feedback and give us suggestions…so we can make sure that we are staying in touch with what the student body needs.” Bolton concluded by saying, “I’m here to support [the students]. At the end of the day, it’s a student space, and so I am really invested in what works for the student body.”

Suggested Reading:

The Westridge Library Lacks a Noise Policy: What Does This Mean for Students?

Looking to Boost your Mid-Semester Study Game? Top 4 Places to Study on Campus.

The New School Library