What is a library without books, computers or a librarian?

There might be an extensive collection of digital books, there might be a computer station for student use (around the corner that is hidden from view), there might be a bank of charging stations for students to recharge their personal devices. For all I know they could have a restaurant kiosk for fresh fruit and healthy drinks. What they don’t have are age appropriate programs that a professional librarian can provide, instruction in research methods, books you can put your hands on, and anything that resembles the library you grew up with.

I read a newspaper article today about a new high school building being built in a nearby county. This county used to be my employer until they downsized their school library media centers to have zero certified professional media specialist librarians. The rendering of this new media center showed a bright sunny room without books, computers, individual places to study or library personnel. The new media center was basically an atrium with large meeting tables and nothing else. How could this be called a media center?

I allow the students at my traditional high school to eat in the media center. I have a list of students who can do this each lunch period and I maintain that list. I also make sure they are generally clean, respectful and happy. That is the number one reason students come to the media center (about 300 students spread over 3 periods). Students rarely check out a book, they rarely use a desktop computer (I am looking around right now during lunch and over half are staring down at a phone swiping or watching) and they rarely research anything. These are all activities that are for the most part moot for today’s secondary school students. I did just have a lunch table break into the Happy Birthday song for a friend. Which is cool and I take as proof they are enjoying their school media center. Given that the traditional reasons for coming to the media center are for the most part gone what should a new media center look like? What should an old media center look like for that matter? Change is happening in the library world as fast or faster than the wider world of education.

However, every politician and dignitary love to have their pictures or videos taken in front of a library full of books! What will they use as a backdrop for their new plan to solve this country’s problems by banning Maus?