Finding a space designed to help students achieve academic goals, explore new interests, and connect with other students and teachers could seem overwhelming in a school of 2,400 students. For many students at State High, that place is the library. Two librarians and two paraprofessionals manage the library, which is far more than a quiet space filled with books. The library allows students to research, read, gain support, and socialize.
Guiding Educational Journeys
To support students’ schedules and learning needs throughout the school year, the library is open every day from 7:40 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., when school is in session. On Wednesdays, it stays open until 6:00 p.m., allowing students time to utilize all the library offers. Students can also access the library before and after school, during PAWS times, and other times during the school day.
“I come here almost every day just to do homework in the morning,” freshman Hannah Koncoksi said.
“We believe in an active space. We try to zone it out so that students can get all their needs met, whether they need a quiet corner to escape the chaos of something. Some students need a social aspect, a table where they can sit with friends and pull together from different PAWS. In a productive zone, people have a small room where they can meet as a team or work on a group project. We want to hit and succeed in satisfying all these different facets of whatever you need as a student to succeed. We want to ensure we are providing it here at State High,” librarian Mark Morath said.
At State High, the library is a foundation for students throughout their educational journeys, providing resources that support their academic and personal goals. One notable change in students’ library experience from middle school to State High is how the library is organized. In middle school, students encounter libraries where fiction books are organized by genre, making it more straightforward to find books that match their interests.
However, upon entering State High, students will find the library’s fiction section is organized alphabetically by the author’s last name.
“We have met with the librarians up on Penn State’s campus to ask them what our students need to know when they graduate to be able to be successful in researching and utilizing all the resources you have there,” Morath said. “The same thing is true with the organization of our fiction titles, realizing that organizing by the author’s last name is the same pattern you will find in the future, but also encourages students to get out of that pigeonhole routine.”
While the transition to an author-based system may initially seem like a challenge to find books students are interested in, the library has added color-coded stickers to the spines of each book to show the genre and make the adjustment more manageable for students.
State High believes that students should have choice-reading books in addition to the books assigned in class.
“All of our English teachers work very hard to make sure that they bring their classes down here, so students have another book, another choice that will line up with their own interests. Students also have those books in their hands, and developing and deciding what books we have in our collection is a major priority,” Morath said.
Morath emphasized the importance of students finding books they like at State High. “Authors do this amazing thing where they open these gateways and let us experience what life might be like for someone else, and when you get an opportunity with books, you can walk a few steps in those shoes. It changes you, and it helps you. It contributes to why we have such great students here at State High. Much of it is driven by how well-read and educated our students are,” he said.
“We want to be that space for our academics and try to connect to all parts of the curriculum, but we also want to be that space for when you have some downtime because we want students to know what libraries are like when they leave here,” librarian Dr. Catherine Fuhrman said.
Meet the Library Team
Behind everything the State High Library offers is a dedicated library team that works hard to support students and keep the library running smoothly. Morath and Dr. Fuhrman are the librarians, and Anne Kapinus and Katherine Van Varick are the paraprofessionals. Each has a journey leading them to work in the State High library. They have in common their love of learning and connecting with students.
“I love how I work with every single student in the school. I am not locked into knowing a singular discipline. I get to dabble. It is not about knowing a lot about one thing but knowing a little about a lot of things. I get to participate in many aspects of students’ lives over all four years that they are here at State High, which leads to a bigger, deeper connection with some students and teachers and being able to work with every corner of the building,” Morath said.
Fuhrman explained her experience at Millersville College, meeting the head of the library science department, which ultimately led her to the library.
“She just had a light in her eyes about being a school librarian. I left that meeting and said, ‘that is what I want to do’. I still worked full-time, and I started to go back to school. I finally got my bachelor’s degree when I was 29 years old. After that, I got my master’s and then my doctorate. But it was meeting one person and remembering how much I enjoyed being a library helper. That is what I want to do for the rest of my career,” Fuhrman said.
“The librarians are always helpful, especially when I am in here for English, looking for books, or if I am just needing some help on homework,” sophomore Lyle Rioux said.
Kapinus shared how she found her way as a library paraprofessional after switching from a para for the math, tech ed, and science departments to becoming a para in the library. “I am not a reader, and I am not quiet, and I was not really excited about it, but I said, ‘okay, I will do it’, and now I love it so much. I love working with the kids very, very much,” she said.
“I worked at the Schlow Public Library downtown before, and someone I worked with there worked here. I only worked there part-time, and they told me when this para job opened up, and they said you would have so much fun,” Van Varick said. “I originally thought it would be getting to be around the books all the time, but I think my favorite part is just talking to the kids every day. I have made so many connections with people.”
Together, they create a team that makes a welcoming environment for students to learn, read, and interact.
Research Support Services
One of the most significant ways the State High Library supports students in academics is through research assistance. The librarians work closely with teachers and their classes to help students research properly, select good sources, and cite them correctly.
“I love the teaching piece of instruction with research. I love helping students scavenge for resources,” Fuhrman said. “I love it when a student says, ‘I have looked and can not find anything.’ I love to say, ‘Okay, let us do this together,’ and be able to find the tough things and then help the students be successful with those searches.”
Fuhrman explained the benefits of the collaborative efforts between teachers and the library, “We have already worked with your teacher, so it’s a collaborative effort to make sure that all the students in the class are successful in that academic research. I think that it is a great advantage you get in a whole other face. Mr. Morath and I are experienced in all the databases whereas your classroom teacher has used them, but many times, the features change, and it kind of takes that burden off the teacher and allows us to do it with our expertise. We can help students make sure they find the right resources for what they need.”
These lessons help students build skills they will use beyond their time at State High, which is one of the librarian’s main goals of knowing how to find credible sources and cite them in the future.
In addition to collaborating with classes, the library offers online resources through its website. Students can find reliable resources to use when completing research on the extensive list of online resources the library provides.
“We try to tailor the research and the curriculum in the building. We always try to find ones that really have a good depth because a lot of times for your projects, especially for AP or IB classes, or even a lot of your regular English, Social Studies, or Science classes, you are allowed to pick and choose and select your own topic. We need to make sure that the databases, online and print resources, are going to be able to cover whatever you choose because we can’t guess what you might be interested in choosing. We want to make sure that those online databases are easy to use. They have a good interface. Also, do they work well with Google Drive and Noodletools? Do they have multiple reading levels, short articles, and scholarly articles?” Fuhrman said.
Recognizing that research can present various challenges for students, the library website features a button that sends a student’s question to the librarians and paraprofessionals so that they can respond.
“It is kind of like an easy button. We are trying to make it easy for anybody to ask any question, and we all get it and can answer it,” Fuhrman said.
Tools and Social Spaces
When considering a library, students might not picture the extensive list of other tools the State High Library offers.
For students wanting more academic resources, the library has dry-erase boards for students to study and map out material. For students completing a group project, students can utilize the side meeting rooms that have TVs and recording resources. For students working to study for their AP classes or the SAT, the library has an SAT and AP study room equipped with study guide materials and subscriptions and online resources for students to use. Lastly, students can use the podcasting studios in the library, one with a four-mic setup and another with a two-mic setup.
The State High Library offers graffiti books, a place for students to annotate and write thoughts while reading.
“This whole collection of books is set aside for students to be able to write in these books, draw pictures, and do whatever they want. It is a way to engage with the text and highly embraced,” Morath said.
For students looking for a different approach to the library, there are many social aspects students can enjoy. The State High Library welcomes students there to socialize with friends.
“I think the social aspect of the library is what people like the most about it. It is a great place to meet up with people and socialize, play games, and do puzzles. It is such a good community space,” Van Varick said.
“I usually meet my friends here in the morning,” junior Berkeley Gearhart said.
The library maintains a shelf of games and puzzles students can check out and play.
Whatever a student might be looking for or interested in, the State High Library is here to help.
“School libraries are the place for students to learn all types of literacy skills and take those skills about finding things they are looking for and being able to take that beyond school. We want you to take the understanding of libraries with you forever. When you leave here, whether you go to college and you want to use that academic library or when you go out to the community library, we want you to understand that there is a public library there. Those lifelong learning skills can also be used in the public library,” Fuhrman said.
To continue learning about all the State High Library offers to students, visit the library website, which features new information and student support. The library is open from 7:40 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. when school is in session and until 6:00 on Wednesdays. Whether you are focused on finding a new book, seeking research help, or looking for a place to connect with friends, the State High Library supports your needs.
