Cartersville High School has a lot to offer students, even beyond the typical classroom. There is no better example of this than the school’s media center. A recent interview with Ms. Herring, the instructional technology and media specialist, highlights exactly what makes this place so special, as well as foreshadows some exciting developments yet to come.
When Ms. Herring took over responsibility for the media center last year, she noticed that post-COVID, students weren’t visiting it at the same level as before. “I’m just trying to put a little more life into the media center,” she explained. “And try and get students and teachers back in the media center and using it either with technology or with books or research.”
A common misconception is that the media center is strictly for books, synonymous with the idea of a library. The truth, however, is that while, yes, books are a major part of the services the media center provides students, there is so much waiting just below the surface that will appeal to students with all types of interests.
Ms. Herring walked through exactly what other services students can come to the library for: “The media center is just, it’s full of different activities and things to do. We have, of course, you know, you have the desktops and the laptops to do work and assignments; to do printing. We have the tables, we have all of the tools, instruments, equipment, supplies, all that stuff. If a student is working on a project or anything like that, we have resources for them to use, free of charge. We also have what is called a maker space. That stuff can be either used for projects, but it also can be used just to have fun and just to be creative. And, you know, believe it or not, it actually does involve some critical thinking and figuring out things. Also, it’s a way to relax. We have, of course, all of our equipment: we have the button maker, we have the 3D printer. I have a cricket that that students can use.”
The media center is also always growing and changing. “I’m trying to add little by little, get more equipment in here. We have fun things to do, like different crafts. I try to theme it based on the month,” Ms. Herring shares. For example, the media center is currently hosting a special March Madness-themed book bracket for students to participate in.
Most importantly, the media center is about making connections. Not only is it a great place to relax independently with friends, but it can also be a phenomenal way to make new ones too. Nothing demonstrates this more than all the support the media center has been providing our school’s book club, Alcove. Recently, the club decided to shift gears to empower students to find their new favorite titles, cultivate their own unique reading tastes, and then share them with other members. Ms. Herring visited monthly meetings to learn which titles members want to read and then purchase them on the media center’s behalf. Not only for members of Alcove, but also anyone else who might be interested in reading the books.
“It’s nice to get firsthand what y’all are interested in reading and trying to get those in the media center so that everybody can read them,” Ms. Herring says.
If you aren’t a member of Alcove yet and you still want to recommend the media center purchase a specific book, Ms. Herring also indicated that there are QR codes posted around the media center that will lead you to an online form to fill out.
“They can also either come up to me or Ms. Vassil and request a book. And usually pretty much I go ahead and get them because hey, if somebody’s going to read, I will get that book for them,” Ms. Herring added.
Ultimately, when asked what one takeaway she hopes CHS students have from the media center, her answer was this: “Everybody is welcome here. That I don’t pretty much turn anybody away.”
The media center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., though Ms. Herring shared that they sometimes close even later, depending on what is going on, saying, “If I can be with them, I will.”
Keep your eyes peeled for APA research and Artificial Intelligence lessons, which the media center is planning to begin hosting soon. In the meantime, however, go with some friends, sit down for a while, check out a book, and most importantly, explore. You never know what you might find.
