Many students visit the library at Northport High School at least once a day for a multitude of different reasons. Whether it’s to study, do homework, take out a book, or hang out with your friends during your lunch period, the library is always crowded with people- a little too crowded. A lot of students and even teachers complain about there not being enough furniture in the library.
Not Enough Seating Areas
One of the main issues with the library furniture is that there aren’t enough seating areas throughout the library. When you stand in the library all by yourself with nobody else there, it seems big and spacious. But when you add a bunch of students, the space quickly becomes crowded and all of the tables fill up. There are tables in the lower part of the library but the lower library is usually closed during lunch periods so students can’t go down there to sit at a table. Even the computer area tables are crowded. This is a problem because students won’t have a place to sit if they need to do work and study. It is very inconvenient to walk into a library and notice there are no more seating areas.
Uncomfortable Furniture
The wooden tables in the main section of the library are uncomfortable. They are old, rusty, and the paint is chipping off of them. Not to mention, there are scratches and pencil marks on them too. The chairs are hard, wooden, fall over, and they wobble and fall apart easily. Just the other day when I was in the library, I was getting up from the table because the bell was about to ring and my chair fell over as soon as I stood up.
What Mrs. Cavaliere Thinks
The Northport High School librarian, Mrs. Cavaliere has some thoughts on this situation and she agrees with me that the library could use some new updated furniture. In an interview with her, I asked “Why do you want new furniture in the library?”, to which she replied with “Our library is used so much every single period and I feel like our students deserve furniture that is comfortable and safe. Many of the chairs in our library are in disrepair and literally falling apart. When I put them to the side to be repaired they generally don’t get repaired and they have to get thrown away and then there are not enough seats for all of the students that utilize the space. The furniture is actually quite old. I’ve been here for 16 years and this furniture has been here the entire time I’ve been here, so it’s definitely older than that. Except for the high top tables…clearly they’re new.” I then asked Mrs. Cavaliere “What else would you want in the library?” She replies with “If I had an unlimited budget I would love to redo this entire Library into a space that our students and staff and Community could truly be proud of. Movable Furniture, maybe some booths so students could study together in a more quiet environment. Tables that are not falling apart (**laughs**). Maybe some comfy reading couches and some little study pods for students to work on their own would be cool too. If I could have anything I wanted, I would definitely want those cool exercise bikes that are also desks, that would be amazing! Kids could get their steps in while reading or studying.”
Outdated Furniture
Another problem with our school library is that most of the furniture is outdated and needs to be updated to modern standards. As Mrs. Cavaliere mentioned earlier, she has been teaching at Northport High School for around 16 years and she says the furniture has been the same ever since, besides the new computer tables which were added recently. According to https://www.castlesukeducation.com desks and chairs should be replaced every 10-15 years, bookcases every 10-15 years, and upholstered furniture(like leather seating areas) should be replaced every 5-8 years. Northport High School should begin to update their library furniture soon because as Mrs. Cavaliere stated, the furniture has stayed the same ever since she started teaching 16 years ago, and https://www.castlesukeducation.com suggests that tables, desks, and chairs should be replaced every 10-15 years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Northport High School needs to update its library furniture to modern standards, as well as more seating areas for people to sit at. If it becomes too crowded in the library, it makes it difficult for students to find a quiet place to study and get their work done, let alone find a place at all to sit at. If you’re lucky enough to find a place to sit at, the chances of it being outdated and broken are high. Most of the furniture is uncomfortable and even dangerous depending on the conditions of it. What the Northport High School library needs is more seating areas and comfortable furniture that is updated to modern standards.
