This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
The Park City High School hasn’t had a traditional library for several years and there isn’t one in its construction plans. The high school will have a flex space with a library program instead.
A traditional library houses many shelves of reading and instructional materials and is also a research hub. Park City School District spokesperson Heidi Matthews said the high school shifted away from a traditional library setting several years ago in an attempt to have more blended learning. The high school now has a library program which still includes research and literacy programs, but relies on a blended learning specialist, who provides technology training and support, instead of a library media specialist.
Matthews said those programs involve teaching students how to assess for bias in sources and how to use databases.
“We know that our students are no longer researching the way that some of the traditional libraries work, you know, we don’t research in nonfiction books,” she said. “But we still need to teach our students how to access information from a wide variety of sources.”
Instead of a traditional library in the new addition to the high school, students and staff will be able to access a “flex space” which will open in the fall of 2025. Matthews said the space will be designed with student wants in mind.
To read the full story, visit KPCW.org.
