Library gets spooky makeover

The uses of school libraries - like their public counterparts - are changing with the digital age. Libraries are serving a range of functions now, from providing Internet service for computer research to gathering places for community education.

At Sisters Middle School last Friday, the library became the haunt of ... haunts.

A group of dedicated volunteers transformed the library into an elaborate haunted maze, using themes from some favorite spooky or magical stories. From the Dementor at the door to spider grotto to the alien crash site nestled into a corner, students were treated to a spooky good time.

There was a Harry Potter room and a pirate treasure cave, and Jim Griffin set up a macabre surgery gallery for scary experiments that would freak out Frankenstein and jangle Dr. Jekyll.

The literary theme was deliberate, and the volunteers had a fiendish ulterior motive: The Haunted Library is all part of a plot to make the library relevant again in school life.

The library at Sisters Middle School was the victim of budget cuts and changing use patterns. Now, the volunteers are bringing it back from the dead.

Ann Alisa Duerden is spearheading the effort, with support from Gwen Chapman; Mary Kay Ferwalt; Rebecca French; Jim Griffin; Sherri Kissinger; and Jeanne Wentworth.

"Libraries are being reinvented in the 21st century," said Duerden.

That means that in addition to books, there are chess boards for Wednesday-morning chess club and games for other times. Instead of a sepulcher of hushed tones, the library is a lively center of activity.

"It's a place where everybody feels included," Duerden said. "It's a safe haven for kids."

Principal Marshall Jackson is fully behind the efforts of the volunteers.

"You need support from the top down, and Mr. Jackson has been really supportive of everything we've wanted to do," said Ferwalt.

The volunteers recently hosted a book drive that netted a whopping $1,300, which will be used to update the library's collections. Such fundraising is an absolute necessity.

"We have no budget at all," said Duerden.

The volunteers were unanimous in their desire to see the district provide a librarian, but they realize that that is not in the cards right now. So reinventing and reanimating the library is in their hands - as long as they stay attached to their arms.