The Evolution of the School Library
By Erika Immel
Library Department Chair
New Trier High School
Upon asking an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, “Can you tell me how high school libraries have evolved?” the program provided the following:
“In earlier decades, high school libraries were largely quiet, book-filled spaces. Their primary role was to house physical collections of books, including encyclopedias, textbooks and fiction, to support academic learning and leisure reading. Libraries were havens for studying, and the librarian was a gatekeeper of information, helping students navigate card catalogs and Dewey Decimal systems. Today, high school libraries are often called learning commons or media centers to reflect their broader role. Here are some defining features of their modern evolution: technology integration, maker spaces, collaborative areas, librarians at tech guides, diversity and accessibility.”