The West Ranch Library reopened its doors to students with unprecedented safety precautions and procedures to account for the unique circumstances of hybrid learning. All year long, the library staff have been hard at work perfecting and tightening every bolt in the new library experience. 

   Malaika Shenoy, a freshman at West Ranch, expressed, “I am very excited about the library reopening because I will have a quiet place to be able to study with my friends!” 

   The teacher librarian, Mrs. Erickson, explained that library visitors will use hand sanitizer after their ID cards are scanned to enter. The library is limited to 21 students at a time with tables for each individual student. Occupants will either sit at tables marked with blue tape or white tape depending on the school period.

   In contrast to pre-quarantine library visits, students must visit the six desktop computers and log in to the library catalog using their student ID number and birthday to check out books. After doing so, students will receive an email about curbside pickup for these books. Two new library staff members—Mrs. Rege, the library technician, and Ms. Herrera, the textbook technician—will be helping out with the new system.

   “Not only will [students] find a very wide selection of books to read for pleasure, the library staff has innumerable resources to help any student succeed in any subject and class,” expressed Mr. Blaugrund, a West Ranch English teacher. Index cards, spiral notebooks, gloves, earbuds, glue, highlighters, pens, posters, pencils, composition books and more may be purchased at the Help Desk, which now has acrylic shields to stifle the spread of the virus. In addition, students may use the library’s printers to print and make copies, as well as the charging stations to charge their electronic devices.

   When leaving the library, students are to use hand sanitizer and the designated exit door to prevent the transmission of the virus. 

   “New [West Ranch] students should ABSOLUTELY visit the library as soon as they can,” emphasized West Ranch English teacher, Ms. O’Dwyer.

   “The library can be both a place to unwind and get work done in a peaceful environment,”  said Blaugrund. 

   If a pupil is still at home or prefers not to borrow physical copies, they can read and use books online through SORA, West Ranch’s new ebook collection. The digital library is accessible from the Google “waffle” through a Hart District school account.  

   “I look forward to greeting our WR Library friends when they pop by to visit.” Mrs. Erickson concluded.