Reading into the Library

1 day ago

3 min read

Updated: 11 hours ago

By Chelsea Lu Sep. 23, 2026

For most students, the library shapeshifts many times per day, transitioning from a quiet refuge in the mornings before the start of school to a bustling gathering area during lunch and break. Yet, beyond the crowded tables and orderly bookshelves lie an often overlooked side to the frequently busy space: the inner workings and necessary efforts that make it an essential to aspect of the student lifeexperience.

The library, known interchangeably with the media center, is run solely manned by sole paralibrarian Alexander Ahn. Originally an elementary school teacher, Ahn joined the school in 2023 after realizing that working in a library was a better fit for his introverted personality. H For Ahn, his goal is to build the library into a safe space used equally for studying and discovering new interests.

“My favorite parts about working here are seeing students being able to locate a book that they were looking for, unexpectedly uncovering a new topic that they did not know that they were going to be interested in or when they spend time engaging in their hobbies,” said Ahn.

Though Ahn has multiple responsibilities, most of hisa majority of his time and effort goes toward is spent on textbook distribution before to ensure sufficient supply make sure there is an adequate amount of textbooks at the start of each school year. He notes thatAccording to Ahn, the media center is split into two separate collections—one for the school and one from the district. Students are encouraged to freely browse material from the school section, whether for classes or personal enjoyment. After meetings with teachers and instructional coaches during the school year to determine the curriculum, San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) places orders on the selected textbooks stocked in the district section.

While many classes use physical books, an online ProQuest library specific to the school is available to all students through the library Canvas page, offering providing access to research papers, academic journals, textbooks and recreational reading. Additionally, Ahn notes that each SJUSD student is automatically registered with a San Jose Public Library (SJPL) identification card, simplifying online book checkoutsmaking it straightforward to check out external books online.

“I was surprised to learn that I already have a public library card under my name, which saves me from the hassle of applying for one personally. This will definitely motivate me to visit the library more often to check out books,” Junior Fiona Diep said.

Textbooks represent are also the most costly portion of the budget. The two office-managed student printers follow closely behind, with each taking over $1000 to maintain annually. Similar to school clubs, the media center budget has to receive approval from the school bank and ASB before the money can be used.

Beyond textbooks, the library also houses a piece of school history.

“Most students are probably not aware of a small collection of books that were bound here over 20 years ago by our history department as a final project produced by students. Made up of both originals and copies of the actual papers, they serve as a unique slice of community history that cannot be found anywhere else in Almaden,” Ahn said.

As students pass through the library every day, it is easy to disregard the work needed to keep the place running smoothly. From managing resources to preserving history, the media center remains a cornerstone of campus life, designed to support the entire student body.

About the Contributor

Chelsea Lu

Feature School & Entertainment Page Editor

Chelsea Lu is a junior at Leland High School and the Entertainment and Feature School page editor. When not working on her page, Chelsea can be found baking, hanging out with friends, and painting.