After almost a year of renovations, the new Rye High School and Middle School library is up and running, with new and improved spaces for students to study and hang out.
The renovation “was a long time coming,” said Superintendent of Schools Eric Byrne. The renovations began in early 2024, leaving students with a smaller temporary space for the second half of the 2023-2024 school year.
Students were not fans of studying for Advanced Placement exams and finals in that cramped space, and looked forward to having a permanent library.
“Being a junior when all the library construction was going on with a very heavy course load was definitely not ideal,” said senior class President Kaylie Nakamura. “But it was cool to see the very center of our school do a complete 180 into something with more modern architecture.”
Nakamura added that the renovated space arrives as the high school is modernizing its curriculum, adding new International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement classes and project-based learning.
When students arrived on campus in the fall, they encountered temporary bookshelves and old furniture. But, as the year progressed, student opinions started to change.
“At the beginning of the school year, I was confused and frustrated by the absence of bookshelves and furniture in the library,” said Junior class Vice President Lila Hudson. “However, I now believe it was worth the wait. The modern functional design creates an environment that truly supports student productivity and collaboration.”
New furniture finally arrived in early January, after being on back-order for months. Included were single study pods, tables and chairs of varying sizes, two circular couches, and new bookshelves. The last piece of furniture, a row of connected pods used for quiet solo studying, arrived on campus on Feb. 21. The new library is “more accessible, more modern, and definitely more up to date,” said high school library clerk Simone Campbell.
While the library has received many positive comments from students, teachers are, “wondering where the books are,” Campbell said. Because of the renovation, the library faculty had to weed out old books. “It was a purge to get rid of the old stuff and bring in new stuff,” said Campbell. “And teachers are going to have to understand that.”
In addition, the old library had two entrances and exit, both with stairs, and the new library has been leveled off to make it wheelchair accessible.
“The lack of accessibility for students, faculty, and staff was a major driver, but the renovations also reflect the way school libraries are used these days,” Byrne said. He said he believs the space will be used for more collaborative work, which students prefer to silent studying, and will do more for the school than just housing stacks of books.
The library renovations were included in a capital improvements bond issue approved by residents in 2019, but the project was put on hold because of Covid-19. According to new high school Principal Andrew Hara, “The ballpark cost of the renovated media center is $3.16 million. This includes the HVAC system, leveling the floor, all the furniture, the replacement of the walls, and the ADA accessibility.”
