The renovation of the St. Luke’s Library as part of the construction of the new wing was a highly anticipated addition to campus. Last year, in the absence of a traditional library space, students utilized the Global Classroom as a makeshift library. The brand new space, which was revealed to the community at the beginning of the school year, is two floors and has more areas for students to work in. “The biggest change is going from a small space to a big space,” says Mrs. Nelson, the Upper School Librarian. The new space, which has an open design with many large windows, has made the library a preferred study space for students. Both Mrs. Myles and Mrs. Nelson agree that the huge windows are their favorite new additions to the library, and others share this opinion.“Being able to sit by the windows is very relaxing and it’s nice to have natural light, too,” one ninth grader notes. Also, the library includes a variety of furniture – several couches, spinning chairs near the wall of windows, benches in between bookshelves, and normal tables with regular chairs. The library is located next to the Cafe on the first floor and the art classrooms on the second floor.

The new library will surely affect the academic lives of students. “I really like spending my frees in the library because I can get work done but not feel the stress of a classroom at the same time,” says another ninth grader. Since the library is part of the new “loop” around the school, most students pass through the space several times a day. The library also provides students with multiple new learning spaces; fifth and sixth graders can enjoy Mrs. Myles’ read alouds, and students can meet in the library’s classroom, which serves as a more traditional learning space. Mrs. Nelson claims that the new library improves students’ quality of life by “providing a comfortable, relaxing space with no pressure.”

Whether a student needs help researching for a paper or finding a new book to read, the library is a great place to go. The space houses thousands of physical books, but the St. Luke’s library also gives students and faculty access to online databases and resources. The space not only houses books that students would enjoy, but also books geared towards faculty and staff. According to Mrs. Myles and Mrs. Nelson, many faculty members have been surprised to find the book they are looking for in the SLS library.

The library’s proximity to the art space makes it a fantastic area for collaboration. In fact, coming soon to the library’s second floor will be a section for community-wide art projects. The area will surely become a great space to spend time with friends and create art.