This spring, as the planning and construction for Milken East flourishes, students received interesting news. The new Milken campus will feature three food carts, two fast-serve eateries, an indoor and outdoor eating space, 1200 feet of lounge space, and even a sculpture garden. 

It will not feature, however, a library.

Though the high school library, a place where students can read and check out books, has been a mainstay of high school campuses since 1740, when Benjamin Franklin first suggested the idea, there will not be one at Milken East.

After doing my own research, I found out that this is part of a nationwide trend. Modern day high schools and colleges are branching away from libraries in general. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 9,000 full-time school library positions were eliminated between 2009-2016, leading to a 15% reduction. It continues to be this way even now. 

What are schools doing with the space? Many of them have been turning their libraries into student lounges and study areas.

There are logical reasons behind this trend. Most school materials are now accessed through laptops and online resources, which makes checking out physical books redundant and arguably useless. Students and teachers find it easier to access things through links rather than take time to search for physical copies. So it’s no surprise that fewer students these days check out physical books.

I have strong feelings about this issue.

Have you ever scanned the shelves at Milken’s library? They’re full of intriguing books, from classic literature like War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, to romance novels and memoirs by a wide range of well-regarded authors. 

The tangibleness of books is something that can not be replaced by e-books and laptops. There is something meaningful about picking up a physical book and immersing yourself in its world. They allow for a better imagination when reading and put less strain on the eyes. Moreover, a physical book doesn’t beep or ding when someone sends you a text.

Not only that, studies show that the mere presence of physical books encourages students to read. Looking at the spines of different genres gives students the opportunity to check more out and skim through things they find interesting. 

Reading exposes people to ideas that online media does not show due to algorithms and biases which cloud a person’s opinion and mindset. Literature can open new doors for young minds and give them different perspectives on real world situations, as well as simply providing a relaxing period to dive into different stories. 

This year, our library serves another purpose; it’s a seniors-only study area during Lishma. On the East campus, seniors will not have their own study place indoors. There will be a senior quad, but it will be outdoors and noisy – not a place to study and read quietly. 

This year, Milken has made multiple initiatives to increase reading: each house held a reading contest, and teachers were encouraged to share the books they were reading. The loss of a library is all but certain to slow the momentum of these initiatives.

The school’s decision to not have a library might also set a negative tone for prospective parents. Some parents won’t mind, but some will. Some parents might find it disappointing that there will be other unnecessary student areas and not something as simple as a library.

I believe there should be a space that serves as a library in the campus to allow students to study and read quietly. A compromise could be made to allow students to utilize a library, or a quiet space that resembles it. Ms. Nikolova, an upper school history teacher, has an idea: perhaps every department could make their own library – so in place of one central library, there will be several miniature ones throughout the campus for students. 

In fact, Mr. Lindsay confirmed that there will be little book nooks around the new campus for students to access. The Beit Midrash will also have books for students to borrow as they please. 

Overall, I do appreciate the amenities that this school provides, the support, and the detail they put into building the East campus. It seems like they are trying to take what they have from the Ruby campus, and make it better for next year, although I do believe that in this process, a library should be included.