A group of students and faculty are developing plans that would transform the library into a more modern space. They have recently been talking to architects from M+H Architects to discuss plans for the space.

“It was great,” librarian Lynn Maitz said. “The architects, what they do is they pitch their ideas and they listen to their customers then they go back to the drawing board. They make modifications and then they go back to the drawing board until they have a plan that works for everybody.”

M+H Architects

Some of the modifications that they are going to have are more resourceful spaces; spaces that teachers can rent out for classes or that just give students a place to relax.

The students collaborated with the architects to put out their insights on what should and shouldn’t be in the new library plans.

“It was really cool,” Junior Dalton Hahn said. “I’m glad they decided to transform a space that we don’t use into a more useful environment.”

Some changes are already being made, with the cement masonry blocks being removed from the windows.

“We think it might be a cool thing to serve as a catalyst,” Bonat said, “doing some new things or learning in a different way or doing a long term project that you’re really passionate about. There’s a lot of opportunities that we can take advantage of in a new space.”

M+H Architects

“We believe that our students are profoundly capable of solving real-world problems, ”President Corey Quinn said. ”So, why make them, or our world, wait?”

One of the ways the new space will be utilized is called the Global Ed classroom. Global Ed will give students the opportunity to collaborate with students anywhere in the world.

“That would be the space where language classes, for example, can meet,” Maitz said. “You can talk to the Jesuit guys in Puerto Rico by video conference, or maybe you want to work on a special project.”

The technology of this new project will be made by mid-July and there will be teacher training/ professional development at the end of July. This new renovation of the library is planned to be completed by August 1, but realistically will be done by the start of the next school year.

“Everybody knows that the library is just four walls and not much is happening there,” principal Trevor Bonat said. “The opportunity to do something in there and make something happen is exciting.”