library – AHS NEWSPAPER

APS Libraries Receive Endowment of $150,000, New Books

December 5, 2023

STAFF WRITER
Julia Rodenberger

The AHS Library will host indigenous author Angeline Boulley for a series of educational events in March of 2024.

This initiative was made possible by the Cummings Foundation based in eastern Massachusetts. As recipients of the 2023 Cummings Grant, APS libraries recieved $150,000 to host Boulley for authorship workshops and to fund other educational endeavors over a three year period.

Boulley belongs to the Chippewa Tribe in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, and primarily writes fantasy novels rooted in her culture. In preparation for Boulley’s arrival, AHS librarian Mary Coombs encouraged students to read Boulley’s latest release: The Firekeepers Daughter. “It’s gotten all kinds of awards, and it’s a pretty action-packed mystery,” Coombs stated. Interested readers can find the novel on display at the check-out desk in the library.

Boulley’s visit will consist of a presentation in the Collin Center with multiple opportunities for students to speak with her via writing workshops and a luncheon discussion. “I think it’ll be refreshing, new, and hopefully a good learning experience,” said Coombs.

The Cummings Grant coincides with an initiative to update the AHS book collection for Fall of 2023. Increased cultural representation is a common theme in 400 books selected for the library. “The collection and the programming and the space really needs to reflect students,” Coombs added. Currently, the displays highlight indigenous stories for Native American Heritage Month.

Coombs elaborated, “All the [APS] libraries are suffering from the same problem and that their collections are kind of old, a little outdated. We can run a report, we can see how old the average age of some of the books are.” Outdated and inaccurate material was “weeded” out at the end of the 2022-2023 school year to make room for the incoming books.

AHS librarians worked alongside teachers across departments in order to select books that mesh well with academic curricula. Coombs hopes that more teachers will be able to take advantage of the library resources.

Senior Anusheh Hashmi added, “Once my teachers in sophomore grades introduced me to the catalogs and resources, I became a lot more adept at using them more frequently, sometimes even outside of class.”

While classes will benefit from multiple copies of research-based books, individual students may enjoy the increased presence of fiction. “I think reading for pleasure is really, really important,” Coombs said. “So we really beefed up on fantasy, a lot of realistic fiction, a lot of graphic novels, and we just started a manga collection.”

Hashmir stated, “I have found that I can always recognize some of the books on display, as they tend to be on the popular side of social media.”

The AHS Library is open to students before and after school and during H-block with opportunities to come during class with teacher permission. A librarian is always present to assist students who wish to check out or renew books.

Coombs stated, “I definitely have seen an uptick in new people that I haven’t seen in the library before borrowing things. That’s the idea, right? If you build it, they will come.”

Hashmir added, “I think the reason people don’t use the library as often is simply because they don’t know.”

Articles Community Events

Memorial Hall Library Hosts Drag Queen Missy Steak

December 5, 2023

Julie Mahoney
COPY EDITOR

Drag Queen Missy Steak taught teens how to apply makeup at a program hosted by Memorial Hall Library on Monday, October 23.

Trying to get more teens involved, Anna Tschetter and Renata Sancken the Teen Services and Reference Librarians, brought in Missy Steak, a Drag Queen from Boston. Missy taught teens, ranging from 6th grade to seniors in high school, how to apply makeup like a true drag queen.

Memorial Hall Library has been trying to make not only the collection of books more diverse, but also the programs hosted at the library. “We wanted to do something fun and make everyone feel welcome,” Tschitter said. “To send a signal to the queer teens in Andover that they are welcome here and we appreciate them and that this is a good place to find themselves.”

Since COVID, fewer teens have been spending afternoons at the library due to the district changing school times, and Tschitter and Sancken have been trying new ways to get more people interested.

Tschitter said how they used to “have big, huge crowds every Friday and now we have less of that.” While there are many goals at the library, Sancken said that it is their goal “to be a safe space for everyone. We want to learn new things and explore new interests.” Tschitter and Sancken are aware of how busy teens can be but they love it when kids “just come in and check out books.”

STAFF PHOTO / Julie Mahoney
Missy poses for a photo with Memorial Hall Library staff.

In the past, the library has held other Pride events but this is the first drag-related event and likely not to be the last. “Drag is an artform,” Sancken said. Missy added how amazing it is to work in a new environment: “I remember not having a place [like this] when I was younger. I can’t even imagine what change that could have made if I did.” What’s most important to Missy is “the individual impact.”

There has been talk about a drag queen story hour in the children’s room and there is much excitement about continuing to show kids what drag is. “We do a lot of programs and we want to put on programs for everyone,” Tschetter said, “but maybe not every program is for everyone but we want to present a wide variety of things.”

Missy thinks right now more than ever it is important to show the beauty and fun drag can be. “We are seeing a lot of pushback across the country right now. And that shows exactly why this is important right now. I do not expect everyone to understand what I do or for every event to be packed to the brim with people,” Missy said. “But people come and have a good time and that’s important. And I think that’s something to be celebrated. And again if it makes people angry then it shows that there is a power to it.”
Furthermore, a message from the librarians, there is no longer a need to call the library to ask about volunteer hours, simply visit mhl.org/volunteers.

Articles Photo Essay

Comic Con Comes to Andover

March 21, 2023

Memorial Hall helps students use pin-making machine to turn ordinary paper into fashionable accessories.

Students choose artwork to make into pins.

Mary Coombs of the AHS library displayed the raffle ticket collection box. Coombs was the mastermind behind the organization of the event.

The Andover Bookstore offered best-selling comic books to Andover High in its first ever Comic Con.

What’s your superpower? Seniors Avanthika Suryadevara and Anya Gupta are excited to find out.

Claudia Wessner and her daughter experience bonding through the delight of Comic Con.

Ellie McGrath contributes to Community Comics with an illustration.

Students come together to bring their imagination to life through community comics

Bori Kim brings Wonder Woman to life through prolific illustration at the Community Comics panel.

Junyi Ye participates in crafts at Comic Con.

Comics and comic merchandise being displayed.

Articles Community

The Library Makeover was Long Overdue

November 19, 2021

By Caitlin Connell

STAFF WRITER

The Andover High School library was renovated this past summer to improve the learning environment for students.

The library was last renovated in 1997 before the current updates this year; and after about 20 years without improvements, the library is finally getting the updates it deserves. John Berube, a librarian at AHS, stated that the carpet in the library was “starting to split,” one of the many reasons the library needed renovations. This split was a safety hazard to students, who could potentially trip on the carpet. The renovations were initially just supposed to replace the carpet, but as the process started the school decided to paint the walls, update lighting, as well as fix sound issues.

STAFF PHOTO / Caitlin Connell
John Berube (left) and Mary Coombs (right) in front of the new library design

Berube said they had been “talking about [the renovation] for years,” and over the summer the project finally started up. So far, the brick and concrete has been painted over white, blue, and yellow—the colors of the Andover Warriors—and our school’s logo has been added on one of the walls.

Mary Coombs, who is also a librarian at AHS said, “The new paint made it feel brighter and more engaging.”

The school has also hired an acoustical engineer to help plan out how to make the library less echoey, and more suitable for classroom use. Berube said the library “echoes something wicked,” so for sound regulating, acoustical panels will be installed along the walls which will absorb some of the noise. Along with the noise panels, a new wall is going to be put in the library surrounding the open classroom on the left by the entrance. This wall will help control sound to minimize the noise produced during classes.

The renovation will continue through the year and consist of updating the light fixtures in the entrance of the library and changing the lights to LEDs for a brighter working space. New light fixtures will be added to the front of the library brightening up the space even more. The bookshelves in the library were also spaced out further to create room for two new classroom spaces in the library, providing even more space for learning.

The bathrooms in the library may also be getting renovated in the future. The plan is to modernize them by making the bathrooms touch-free. The bathrooms in the library will also be gender-neutral, making them available for all students to use.

Coombs said, “I love the changes.” Her part in organizing the renovations was vital and she is more than happy with how the library ended up looking. Years ago, the library that we know today was once just a small room with a hallway in between and an auditorium on the other side that faced the foyer. Now the library is a combination of the hallway, library, and auditorium. The space has grown dramatically in size since 1997 and continues to be used as a student-centered space. The new renovations have only made the library more inviting for students and teachers, creating a better learning environment.