Photo Anika Sanka

An empty library full of unread books.

When was the last time you had to do some research for an assignment and you decided to go to the library to find a book on the topic? Most likely, it has been a while. While that had once been the traditional use for the library, the internet has almost completely extinguished that practice. Due to this, some may say that libraries are decreasing in relevance and are eventually going to be fazed out of schools.

There is some truth to be found in this statement when many school libraries are turning into “multipurpose rooms” or are seen to just be glorified computer labs. However, it’s imperative that schools keep libraries because their purpose is essential to a good school environment.

“I think that a lot of people have said libraries are irrelevant or nobody goes to the library anymore. But that’s absolutely not true. Because librarians, as we have always done traditionally, have changed with the times. And we brought technology into the library because that’s where the information is. My degree is Library Information Sciences for a reason, because my job is to connect people with information and whether that information is found in a book or on the internet,” Robinson Media Specialist Shannon Chamberlain said. 

The majority of students forget that the library is a great resource for getting information and solely utilize the internet for information, which isn’t always reliable.

“Public libraries, as well as school libraries, buy databases and collections of information. And here at Robinson, we actually subscribe to a database called World Book online and that is literally who used to make those amazing encyclopedia collections you used to see in traditional libraries. The beauty is that it’s online now so it can be constantly updated, so you guys got free resources to go in there and you know, use those to help support your research,” Chamberlain said.

Outside of its research purposes, students forget that the library is a nice space that is always available to them. It can be used for meeting up to work on a project, printing out assignments or simply picking out a book and unwinding. For IB students especially, the library can be taken advantage of during their allotted JA (research) time.

“I use the library every day or at least once a week and to me, the library is very comforting and a safe space. It’s very quiet and good for studying and relaxing,” Jordynn Borst (’26) said.

Interest in reading for students has also decreased over the years making the library less relevant. One leading cause of the decreased interest is the enforcement of reading and annotating in high school English. Most don’t particularly enjoy the extensive reading and annotation that comes with English and this creates negative feelings associated with reading. It’s hard to enjoy reading for fun when you’re forced to read five chapters of Shakespeare a week.

If we could put some effort into reigniting that spark and finding books that we truly enjoy reading, students can help bring back the library and make it the influential place it used to be. 

“The library’s always been so much more than a place that has books. It’s also a place to connect to your community, connect with each other and do group projects. So even though the circulation isn’t as high as it used to be, I think the people who want it will still come,” Chamberlain said