Bookin' It

Over the past year, the school library has undergone a transformation, evolving from a simple study space into a modern hub of learning. With new technology, flexible seating, reorganized shelves, and thousands of new books, students say the space now balances comfort with academic support.

“It was kind of cozy. But it wasn't as decorative and organized as it is this year,” Lexi Engle expressed.

Engle is one of the many students at Jefferson Academy in an online language program, Colorado Digital Learning Solutions (CDLS). She took ASL 1a and 1b last year, and is currently taking ASL 2a and 2b this year. Language classes take place in the library, so Engle has first-hand experience in the library and the new technology that can be seen this year. 

“I really enjoy the self-checkout in the library. It is much more accessible and always available, unlike last year with manual checkout,” Engle said. 

Olivia Williams, also in the CDLS, expresses her satisfaction with the advanced online databases that make the flow of the library exceed expectations. 

“I love noodle tools and how easy it is to make citations on papers. I also love the AI assistant librarian. It is so much easier to find a book. All you have to do is input a genre you are looking for, and it comes up with books in the library,” Williams explained. 

Jefferson Academy has a Student Library Advisory Board which helps organize read-ins, book speed dating, movie nights, and more. Eva Richling, the president of SLAB, spends a lot of time in the library. 

“We have more books. And it's more organized. There are different subsections of fantasy, and it's all organized. You have the nonfiction on one side, and the fiction on the other,” Richling stated.

Richling, like many other bookworms in the JA community, also noted the atmosphere of the library enables an innate passion for reading. 

“Everybody's so friendly, and it's such a nice environment to be in. I enjoy being in the library and being surrounded by books,” Richling mentioned.

In addition to the many new book options, there is a new printing system. To print something, your computer must be connected to the printer and you must go to the printer and input your student ID. JA’s librarian of 3 years, Ms. Morris, has been working extra hard through the start of the school year helping students adjust to the new digital resources. 

“What has been challenging is getting everybody set up with the printer because everybody has different kinds of devices, and some devices work better than others with the printer set up,” Morris added. 

Digital teacher, librarian, and tech coordinator Mrs. Davis helped secure many of the library’s biggest improvements, working very hard to provide Jefferson Academy with our excellent library. 

“I spent my summer here. I wrote a bunch of grants last year as soon as I found out I had this job, so I got about $30,000 in grant money, so we added new bookshelves, new furniture, new signage, and 1,800+ books,” Mrs. Davis shared.