Brown University helps pay for library renovation at Providence, R.I., high school

Providence Hope High School in Providence, R.I., has opened a newly renovated library and media center, thanks to a renewal project of $150,000, funded by Brown University.

The refreshed library and media center opened on June 7, following 11 months of planning, design and construction.

The library's new design gives students more spaces and options for studying, with more tables, a handful of lounge areas, movable whiteboards and power-connected furniture.

Joanna Saltonstall, a program manager in Brown’s facilities management department, said Hope High's original library had been a traditional destination for checking out books, reading and studying quietly, rather than a multipurpose space that supported multiple styles of learning.

The resulting design opens up much of the space previously devoted to bookshelves. That created room for more tables, chairs and movable whiteboards, so that students had additional places to work on group projects, study collaboratively or engage in quiet conversation.

A large conference room and a one-on-one tutoring space at the edge of the new library and media center complement the primary study location.

The money for the renovation came from Brown's Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence.