Upon returning from the holiday break, SHS students certainly did not expect to receive one final gift: a partially remodeled media center. What a delight it was to return to changes other than a few new haircuts, freshly obtained tans, or more commonly, increased paleness among those who sat on the couch for the entire week.

Students and teachers were shocked as they entered the sixth floor media center on Tuesday, Jan. 2, and rightfully so. The rows of desktop computers native to the back right portion of the library were nowhere in sight. Instead, shiftable “nesting tables” and Chromebooks were populating the now naked-looking space. According to Head of Media Mary George, the tables can be configured into various formations to promote different types of group work.

This new setup is formally known as a Learning Library Commons. The idea to implement this type of workspace at SHS was first proposed by former Head of Media Jean Isler, who fell in love with the idea after attending a workshop last year where such a space was described. Isler went as far as obtaining blueprints and quotes from WB Mason Interior Design before her retirement at the end of the 2015-16 school year. Isler’s retirement prompted George to take the reigns on the project.

The new area’s flexibility, combined with the utilization of Chromebooks rather than desktops, aims to promote collaboration. George said that now students will actually be able to “look at each other’s faces, as opposed to looking over giant monitors.” Apparently, financial factors also drove the push for remodel because George went on to say that “Chromebooks are nearly three times cheaper than the desktops.”

One major tradeoff of using Chromebooks as opposed to desktops is that they are unable to send documents to printers. As George and her team determine a solution to this problem, a few desktops will remain available in the media center so students may print.

As of right now, the media center must sign up to use a Chromebook cart like any other teacher, but in the coming weeks they are scheduled to receive a cart of their own. George went on to say that further improvements in the media center are soon to come, such as bookshelves on wheels, along with more nesting tables for the front of the media center.

So, where did all of our desktops go, you ask? Davenport Elementary School, which just received a half-million dollar grant to renovate their media center, will be the recipient of our hand-me-downs.