Teddy Smedley and Melissa Rizzo, Centerfold Editors
@tsmedleycourant @mrizzo_courant
Hub of the Community
One of the first things we’re taught at school is how to read. After that, reading of any and every kind is fairly central to our education and growth as individuals and as citizens. With this in mind, it is no surprise that public libraries have always been centers of learning. The reopening of the New Canaan Public Library on February 14 presents the perfect time to reevaluate not only the significance of libraries, but the place that reading has in our community.
Sophomore Radea Raleva, an avid reader and member of the NCHS Book Club, hopes that the newly renovated public library will encourage students to read more. “Though I was originally a little opposed, I think that the new library is a good thing since making it more modern will motivate more people to go there,” said Radea. “With more students visiting the library, hopefully, more people will check out books. There are going to be so many new cool features, and I hope that motivates people to read.”
Modern lounge areas provide space for relaxed meetings and individual study.
According to Lisa Oldham, Executive Director of New Canaan Public Library, the new changes made to the library demonstrate the organization’s continual commitment to serving the New Canaan community. “The children’s room, the tween cave, and the teen space are some of the library’s key improvements,” Ms. Oldham said.
Marie Aspinwall, Manager of Family Services at New Canaan Public Library, also had some important information about library changes. “The biggest changes for our department are that the teens have their own room. They have their own area to be able to study, read, and enjoy the space,” she said.
The library has also added dedicated specific areas to meet other needs of students. “We have a dedicated maker space,” said Ms. Aspinwall. “We also have a plethora more meeting rooms, which means that you can rent them out for either tutoring, quiet study, or collaborative study. We have a cafe, which we’ll be opening up later, and this will also be a big change for a lot of people.”
The new children’s section is three times larger than before, featuring dynamic study spaces and an adult-free zone.
Ms. Oldham believes libraries are crucial to creating community. “When you come in here after school, you’re probably going to run into people around town,” she said. “These intersections help build a community where we see and engage with each other in a place that’s open, welcoming, and friendly. So even though that’s a byproduct of what we do, it’s also an important part of what our main goal is. Whatever your interest, whatever your age, however you learn, we’ve got you covered. ”
What’s equally important to Ms. Oldham is that libraries are available to everyone. “Access and inclusion are the fundamental core beliefs of what we do,” she said. “This is to make it truly an inclusive place for everybody to learn specifically around learning, but also to just be. Where else can you go and just be where nothing is expected of you?”
Cultivating Readers
One of the most important factors of a library is, understandably, reading. English Teacher Susan Steidl shared that reading dramatically informs writing. “You see it most often in the ease with language that students have when they’re writing; with some students, you see that they have crafted a sentence with great deliberation, and with other students, the way they think and write is more organic. I personally feel that this is directly correlated with reading.”
According to Ms. Steidl, exposure to different authors or genres allows students to develop their own writing skills. “When students are reading sentences that have different structures and different voices, they start to develop their own voice in their head as a result of that exposure,” she said. “That’s my own impression: I can tell when students are readers because you see it come out on the page, there is a sense of ease to the way they use language.”
While reading may help students improve their writing skills, NCHS Library Department Chair Michelle Luhtala believes that reading may even help students’ future careers. “When you think of the critical dispositions that employers are looking for in candidates, they’re looking for people who are able to not only find solutions to problems that already exist but also identify problems that haven’t been identified yet. And I think you have a much better shot at developing those dispositions and cultivating those dispositions if you have exposure to a lot of experiences. Reading can bring that into your world,” said Ms. Luhtala.
Sophomores Sam Mettler and Emily Roddy destress by reading science fiction during their free periods.
But no matter how important reading is, finding the time and motivation to do so on our own time can seem impossible without any guidance. There is an endless supply of advice as to how to do so, but one of the most resounding suggestions is to listen to audiobooks. Ms. Luhtala says that she’s finished many more books since starting to listen to audiobooks. “If I had to physically read with my eyes, I would read literally 10% of what I read. Our public library has an outstanding e-book and audiobook collection. It’s free. It’s accessible. You can do it on your phone. It’s so easy,” said Ms. Luhtala.
School Librarian Monica Sheehan also agrees that reading, even in the absence of a physical book, has positive impacts. “You can visualize and imagine while you read, so whether you’re listening or reading, it’s the same cognitive ability. Sometimes when you try something new, you might just find you hear a book that’s really good and you’ll find that all of a sudden you want to know what happens, and you’ll just keep doing it,” Ms. Sheehan said.
Radea encourages student readers to dive deeper into the world of reading. “Most of the time if you don’t enjoy reading, you haven’t found the genre that you like. So experiment, try different genres, and maybe find a book club or a buddy to read with so that you have the motivation to finish the book, even if it might not be your favorite,” said Radea.
Ms. Aspinwall made the point that reading comes in a multitude of forms, and all of them are important. “I know people don’t think audiobooks are reading, but I know a lot of the time that’s the way people get to read,” she said.
“Whether you’re reading a print book, a newspaper, a graphic novel, a manga, or even a book that doesn’t have any words in it—audiobooks, podcasts—all of that is reading. I feel like some people don’t acknowledge that. Because it’s still learning, it’s still reading. The best way is what works for you.”
Marie Aspinwall, Manager of Family Services at New Canaan Public Library
