It’s Thursday, 11:15 am, and the ever-so loved music turns off around the high school, signalling the beginning of H4, my only break of the week. Instantly, I feel calmed. No rushing from one floor to the next, no classes for the next hour and a half, but most importantly, a time to get ahead on my homework load, which will only get bigger as the day goes on. It’s been my routine: get out of science and walk to the library with homework in hand.

When the library closes its doors on March 17 for renovations taking place until the first day of the 2017-2018 school year, many other high schoolers who also rely on this study space will have nowhere else to go. We’re anxious.

More and more high schoolers will be scattered around the third and fourth floors, taking up all the possible spaces of quiet during breaks. Even for those who do not use the library on a weekly basis, the students who do use it are going to take up open areas around the school. Where are we expected to relocate to in order to get homework done during the day?

Anywhere nearby the library will be a “no-go zone” due to the loudness of the construction. The library lab computers and space in the library are commonly used by Lower and Middle school teachers when technology is needed in their lesson plan. But, according to Ms. Lesak, those desktop computers will no longer be accessible for the rest of the school year. Teachers will have to rely on the laptop carts in the Lower and Middle school labs, and it’s unclear if more laptops will become available.

One of the main reasons why some are against the library renovations is about the purpose of a library. With all the technology and working spaces being incorporated into the new library, some believe that it will overshadow the books.

By definition a library is “a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to.” During this renovation all the books will be put into storage, which cuts off an accessible source of children’s books and textbooks for research papers.

School for everyone is only going to get more stressful, and beginning a construction project will only add to the worries. The timing isn’t exactly ideal due to the fact that finals are coming up at the end of the year.

How are we going to create more study space for high schoolers, especially when finals week rolls around? Wouldn’t it be easier if we weren’t fighting with one another over tables and chairs? What will make up for the loss of the library?

Maybe the Harris Center could be an option when it is not being used. It’s a great area with many chairs and side tables to work at, and it could be a designated quiet zone. More tables and chairs could be added on the fourth floor hallway as well. What about the Humanities Center or even the wavy hallway?

Wherever these new spaces in the school are to appear, they must be created or announced soon by the administration.