Despite budget cuts of up to $1.5 million made throughout the county, school officials said the Marshall library has not suffered.
Librarian Alanna Grayboyes said that Marshall has not been hit especially hard.
?Apart from some two thousand dollar decrease, we have not really been affected at all,? she said.
In fact, our media and technology has increased compared to last year, she added. ?We have new computers and resources online that are very helpful to students,? she said.
Fellow librarian Judith Watson also discussed the benefits of these new resources.
?We weren?t expecting this new technology and it has significantly helped the library reduce workload and [has] given students more opportunity to access the resources online,? Watson said.
Principal Jay Pearson has also been involved in the libary?s improvements.
?I just bought five netbooks for [the library] if computers ever fell short for students because I have seen how crowded it gets during lunch,? Pearson said.
Physics teacher Amy Speegle said, ?I usually encourage my students to use the library for science fair.? She noted that the online databases have abundant information.
?The library seems really well-stocked and I can always find the books I need for any subject,? sophomore Gillian Lee said.
Sophomore Taylor Sloan was similarly pleased with the selection.
?[The library] does not seem to be suffering any blows, especially considering their wide variety of books,? Sloan said. Both Lee and Sloan said they are frequent visitors of the library.
In addition to books and resources, the library is making further improvements with furniture. Pearson explained that one of the ways the library staff is doing this is by ?trying out experimental furniture.?
However, the librarians have lost their clerical support positions due to the budget cuts and have also lost a fellow staffer.
?The clerk used to help with processing the material and student assistance,? Pearson said, however, now she works for another school.
Grayboyes and Watson said they did not see that as a hardship.
In fact, the librarians look at it as a ?way to get more creative with our selections? and find alternative means to provide the students with materials, Grayboyes said.
The Friends of the Library Media Center [FLMC] donation group, initiated by Grayboyes, was one of these creative ways to try to help the library recieve funds.
According to the FLMC web site, the group offers to keep the donors informed on new addittions to the library and new databases.
?It?s a great way to raise money for our resources,? Grayboyes said.
She added that the organization will also keep people informed about what goes on in the Marshall library.
?This makes us a little more independent when it comes to our funds, and in a way contributes to our good situation when things are so bad,? Watson said.
Their optimistic view also stems from the confidence in the school and the support they get from them.
?Our principal is just great and we always know that we can count on the library being supported by all the members of this school because we know they care,? Grayboyes said.