Debut of new Library/Media Center marks another Bruin milestone

(Published Sunday, Jan. 13, 2007 in Examiner-Enterprise)

Today is a special one for all of us within the Bartlesville Public School District.

Thanks to the generosity of this community – and its unwavering support of the education and well being of its young people – we are able to raise the curtain on another fine new facility. We would like to invite everyone to attend today's open house and dedication ceremonies – beginning at 2 p.m. – for the new Library/Media Center. The facility can be found in the heart of Bartlesville High School 's main building and replaces the old library, which was beginning to have trouble meeting the needs of today's students.

The new Library/Media Center features 5,900 square feet of space, making it more than twice as large as the old library. The facility features a 32-station computer lab, an alumni/archive room in which to revisit the history of education in Bartlesville as well as a spacious conference room.

“Our library is going from a high school-style setting to more of a college-style environment,” notes BHS librarian Kim Lashbrook.

“The students are excited about the new Library/Media Center. They ask me about it every day.”

The new Library/Media Center is another product of the $30.5 million school bond issue which passed in 2001. Also added to the BHS campus as a result of that school bond issue have been the Science Wing, the Fine Arts Center and the BHS Fieldhouse, our last major facility to debut when it was unveiled in December of 2006.

The district's motto for the 2007-08 academic year is “Excellence In Education.” And with the opening of the new Library/Media Center, we have certainly achieved excellence. The facility sits where the old BHS auditorium used to be found. But while the old auditorium gave way to the Fine Arts Center , we didn't want to lose the character and charm that it brought to the school. Thus, the new Library/Media Center features several of the details and styles which harken back to the roots of the space. The computer lab can be found toward the back of the space on the area which was once the stage area. Rubber tiles – which look like the laminated wood planks of the old stage – were put down to make the area look like it could still play host to a Shakespearean production. The tiles even sweep out in a semicircle, like the front edge of a stage. The large pillars which one flanked the stage area remain as do the vaulted ceilings and the upstairs area where the balcony was once found. The lights which hang down are in keeping with the rest of the art deco feel of the school.

When it comes to the new Library/Media Center, looks aren't deceiving. At first glance, it's a tremendous piece of work, with the huge wooden tapestry which hangs on the back wall beyond the computer lab – almost like a curtain in the stage area – to the sweeping wooden desk which greets people as they enter through the main doors. The upstairs conference room, in the erstwhile balcony area, offers a fantastic view of the rest of the Library/Media Center through huge glass windows.

But while it's nice for the Library/Media Center to look good, first and foremost it must offer a first-class work area for our students. And, it certainly delivers in that department. The 32-station computer lab can comfortably fit a class which might be working on a project or an automated exam. The station is practical as well as the computers can be closed into each of the desks and locked, converting them into regular pen and paper work stations. The new Library/Media Center offers 28 conventional work stations when the computers are all up and 60 when they are closed into the desks.

Mrs. Lashbrook was quite accurate in her assessment of the new facility. As we have moved from the old library into the new Library/Media Center, we have progressed from a high school-style setting to that of a college or university. The work stations range from tables for small groups of people to more private areas with single chairs. Students will be able to find an area to work which is tailored to their particular study habits or even their mood on a given day. And while we didn't have enough computer spaces in the old library to fit an entire class, that is certainly not the case anymore.

The conference room can comfortably seat a group of 18 people while the alumni/archive room is a small oasis in which a few people can brush up on their Bruin history.

Of late, we have been making history within the Bartlesville Public School District . And today is certainly notable. We would like to invite everyone within the community to come out and celebrate with us. You're one of the biggest reasons why one of our favorite sayings never rings hollow: It's a great time to be a Bruin.