Nestled between classrooms and the Grassy Knoll, the Brewster Library is a place where students can gather and immerse themselves in knowledge. But in recent years, the library’s endless expanse of books have been competing for students’ attention – and losing.
Inside the library, students sit at tables or quiet study cubicles. They complete homework, chat with friends, or decompress, scrolling through their phones. Yet the shelves remain untouched, with the books patiently awaiting the arrival of eager readers.
Since February, only seven students and three teachers have checked out books. Topics of interest range from wildlife to feminism to religion to novels. But despite this array of subjects, the library’s texts are only utilized by a small group of individuals within the PCDS Upper School.
According to a poll conducted by Eagle Eye News, 63% of 46 surveyed students admitted to not having checked out a single book from the library in the past year. The majority of students use the library to study or spend time with friends, while 47.8% regularly take advantage of the library’s supply of computers and chargers. Despite lining shelves and tabletops, books are not the library’s most sought after resource.
Most surveyed students who have never checked out books described how they have never felt compelled to do so. “Honestly, I think I just prefer to have my own books now,” one student wrote anonymously. “Plus, it’s so much easier to get books online. I don’t really see the point of the extra work involved in checking the book out and making sure to finish and return it on time.” Other students shared similar sentiments, describing how everything is more readily available online.
“There is really no need in this time and age, everything is digitalized,” another student shared.
However, this is not the standard for all PCDS Upper School students. Senior Asia Harper regularly utilizes the library’s resources.
“I check [books] out pretty often,” Harper said. “I’m particularly drawn to the fiction side, but I also look at the philosophy side.” Additionally, Harper has found the library to be a resource for extra reading as she navigates Dr. Khakpour’s Classical Political Philosophy class.
Beyond checking out books for her personal use, Harper also pursued an independent study last year in which she helped out around the library and ordered books for students. Working closely with former librarian Mr. Thommen, Harper aimed to find books that students would find helpful and relatable, ultimately adding to a collection focused on standardized test prep and college counseling.
In some classes, teachers encourage students to use library books when conducting research. Now in her sixth year at PCDS, Upper School History teacher Ms. Blakeney routinely requires students to check out books from the library for projects.
By requiring students to use book sources, Ms. Blakeney hopes to show students just how accessible libraries can be. “I want students to think that books don’t have to be checked out,” she explained. “They can take four pages, they can gather a lot and then sift through it later. And I just think that offers a very different resource and it requires a very different skillset.”
Ms. Blakeney feels that students should be aware of how to utilize print sources in the present digital landscape. “I would say, maybe five or seven years ago, students were preferring all online,” she said. “More recently, students actually ask for the physical copies, and most students in a class will ask, ‘Can I have a physical copy?’ We’re all becoming aware of the value of the physicalness there. That’s changed.”
As for checking out books, Ms. Blakeney explained, “I think maybe the resistance to getting the books is less. [..] I think because we’re learning how we learn digitally and how we learn outside of the digital world, we’re all becoming aware of what’s working better.”
