By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

MAPLESVILLE —The Maplesville High School library is getting an upgrade thanks to a $1,000 Bright Ideas Grant from the Central Alabama Electric Cooperative.

“We are trying to change it from a traditional library to more of a media center,”

Kathy Hand, technology coordinator, said.

The grant funds will be used to purchase a table, loveseat and more comfortable chairs for students working on electronic devices. Each of the lounge-style chairs will have a pullout laptop tray on the arm.

“We wanted to have seating where it has charging stations, and … kids can come in and have their Chromebook or their tablet and sit down in a comfortable, inviting environment to be able to … research and study,” Hand said.

Alison McClure, tech coordinator, and Pam Jacks also worked on the grant.

McClure said the three brainstormed ideas and collaborated in wording for the grant application.

“We had never received a grant before … so it’s very exciting and it’s kind of motivating to apply for more,” Hand said.

Excitement is also growing for the students, such as 10th grader Makila Campbell.

“I think the update will be really good,” Campbell said.

She said the changes will make students want to be in the library more.

Hand said she wants the library to reflect “how our students learn today versus how they learned when the library was first built.”

Chromebooks are being integrated into several of the high school classes and are used for project research. Campbell said she does online research for her speech class and projects in her online class.

The first step in converting the library to a media center format was the purchase and installation of a Smart TV.

“We are taking small steps at a time,” Hand said.

The television was used to play coverage of the recent Presidential Inauguration.

“We are hoping to have a virtual field trip in here,” Hand said.

A major step making the conversion to a media center possible came at the beginning of the school year internet and wireless upgrades at the school.

High school students have access to the library throughout the school day.