PHS library trading up to renovated former auditorium

From the old gym to new digs that retain theater balcony

By: Nick Norlen
   From an old gym to its new place in the former auditorium, Princeton High School’s library keeps trading up.
   Librarian Arlene Sinding said she hopes the new space feels like home to students and staff.
   "We haven’t lived in it yet," she said. "But we’re hoping that it can accommodate students comfortably."
   With its soft seating, newly installed air conditioning, study rooms and 25 Macintosh and Dell desktop computers, it shouldn’t be a hard sell.
   "We think it’s sort of more appealing to them now," she said.
   A wireless environment, the new library also features audio-visual storage, flat-screen TV and a laptop cart for visiting classes.
   But despite the modern amenities, the former auditorium’s balcony seating and original archways, woodwork, chandeliers and sconces still remain.
   "There’s a lot of the flavor of the old auditorium that’s still there," Ms. Sinding said.
   Those who experienced the renovated space when it was opened for a short time at the end of the school year were pleasantly surprised by the new look, she said.
   "The few who saw it in the spring thought it was absolutely beautiful," she said. "The seniors were thrilled that they could get in a few weeks before school ended."
   Because the library is used for "a variety of different purposes" — group and individual studying, Internet research and leisure reading — it should offer a "comfortable, welcoming space," she said.
   Now, incoming and returning students and staff members will be able to access the library from the first floor and from outside — conveniences that Ms. Sinding hopes will increase her traffic estimate of between 800 and 900 students a day.
   Although the square footage of the new library, which includes a conference room, is similar to the old one, its reconfiguration allows the most efficient use, she said.
   Reference books, fiction, short stories and oversize books now fill what was once the stage area, and study rooms fill the former wings.
   Ms. Sinding even worked with furniture manufacturers on the bookshelves and what she called "the focal point of the library" — the custom-made circulation desk.
   Although the renovation was "a huge undertaking" — tons of concrete had to be poured to level out the sloped auditorium floor — it was worth it, she said.
   "We’re looking forward to a busy, active library this year," she said.
   The library will be open for students from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 3 p.m. Friday, and will open for staff at 7 a.m. each day.
   The official grand opening will be held Oct. 12.