Rose2014

I was startled to see some of the libaries at the various schools. Some were enormous, like I would expect from a high caliber school. Others famous prep schools had small librairies.

I almost want to judge a school by its library. If a school can't afford books, what else is it skimping on?

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill, or is the library is in important part of the school?

spaceneedlesevie

I think you're making a mountain of a molehill. You can't really judge a school by its library. Remember that a smaller library may not mean they cannot afford books, but many other things like they're spending the money on other things. Correct me if I'm wrong, but , there could be no reason for a smaller library. It could just mean that they're still expanding because the library isn't as old.

Periwinkle

I think a parent visiting schools can add the library to the list of factors to consider.

On the other hand, it depends on the school. Don't assume large library = good, and small library = bad.

Cushing Academy famously gave away much of its library. This blog post links to newspaper reports of the decision, and its consequences: Out of the Jungle: Update on Cushing Academy - The private school library that "dumped its books".

You must consider how the school uses the library. Are students assigned opportunities for independent research? Are the classes mostly taught from textbooks? Do the students use the internet for research?

Some schools are close to local libraries. Concord Academy is across the street from the Concord Library. The school has a lovely library, but a student who needs to do research can also cross the street to access books at the Concord Library and all the other libraries in the Minuteman Library Network.

Rose2014

Periwinkle, that was an interesting article. I am old fashioned enough to say that I am glad most schools haven't followed suit with them.

My daughter reads all the time, and when we were here last winter doing drive by boarding schools, she was very impressed with schools with large libraries. This past summer, she spent five weeks at Exeter and came away saying the size of the library wasn't as important to her as she initially thought it was.

travelreader1

When I was looking at prep schools (and again over the past year or so when I was applying to colleges), the library was what usually could make or break a school for me. One of the main reasons I chose the high school and college that I did was because the libraries at other schools paled in comparison to theirs. The big, well stocked, new-ish library at my school was a place where I spent many hours studying and researching. Teachers would often hold class in the library so we could have easy access to a multitude of sources, and we were encouraged to study in the library rather than the dorms. A large library is simply nice to have.