Powell High School is looking forward to an innovative library. Taking this and that and replacing it with something more modern, to create a space that makes students and staff feel more welcomed and at home.
Since librarian Mrs. Skoric came to this school in 2024, she has always found ways to improve the library. She has added puzzles, games, fidgets, and even rearranged the room to get the feeling of a fresh start.
“I just like to have a safe place and a comfortable place to work and live, for that matter,” Skoric said. “So I wanted to make it bright and entertaining, and I knew the cell phone policy was going to be changing and so who doesn’t love games?”
There were many challenges faced while doing this process. For example, getting the items requires the administration’s approval. It’s also essential to make the library easy and accessible to all the students and staff here at PHS.
“I listen to what students are saying,” Skoric said. “I watch how students move around the library and where they tend to congregate. Then I think of what I could do to make it more comfortable and easier to get to the conference room, bookshelves, and lunch intervention room.”
Ordinary libraries are usually quiet. But Mrs. Skoric has improved the library to make it feel like a home space with collaborative games, activities, and even with the furniture. It becomes a better environment for everyone to enjoy and live comfortably during the school day.
“It means a lot to me and I love it when students are excited,” Skoric said. “They come in and go and they say ‘I love what you’ve done’ or they like places where I put chairs. But I want to have a place that’s comfortable and enjoyable for all my students.”
Making a comfortable library can be essential to students’ success. Mrs. Skoric has created an environment that doesn’t feel like they are at school.
“I think it feels a lot more comfortable, especially just to read and do work,” senior Emma Carsey said. “I think the library has improved from like a rating of 5 out of 10 to a 9 out of 10.”
Principal Timothy Wormald enjoys seeing the new upgrades Mrs. Skoric makes to the library. It brings more collaboration to the school as a whole and is still a place to study for college and on campus classes.
“I think Mrs Skoric has done an excellent job of making it a comfortable space where students feel welcome and invited to come in,” Mr. Wormald said. “Whether that be eating or playing games or studying.”
Overall, the improvements of the library have had a positive impact on the environment for the students and staff at PHS. It has helped students collaborate and study as if they were in the comfort of their own home.
“Mrs Skoric added a nice touch to it,” Wormald said. “I really like what she’s done to our conference room. It feels like an inviting space as well, so I don’t have any problems with the way it was before but I’ve never really seen the potential of what it could become either.”
The Powell High School library has evolved over time to become what it is now. Its opening and new face brings in more faces everyday, from studying, to collaborating. It opens up the door to better success and a whole lot of relaxing.
