“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation”, said the famous CBS Walter Cronkite. And he was right.  Libraries are essential to education. It is a place where you can find books, use a computer, or to just study. Not having a library makes researching difficult and does not give students a convenient way to read. With the absence of a library at UME Preparatory Academy, students do not have the same access to books and computers as students from other schools do.

   Libraries have been around for years, and they have been at schools almost as long. Students grow up anticipating trips to the library at school and picking out their own book. As students grow older, libraries provide a quiet place to study, or to find resources to research.  

    Now, with the use of technology, people think that libraries are obsolete.  But computers do not have all the information people need, they have to dig a little deeper to find the right information. For example, students should learn different searching strategies-those more beneficial than using Google.

     UME has been around for five years, but has never offered a library. However the school plans to build one in the near future.

   UME Principal, Mrs. Smith, stated her thoughts on the topic, “There definitely is a chance that UME will have a library.  We cannot right now because of space restrictions.  Our building is completely full, and we have had to bring in portables to accommodate all of our classes.  So, there is just not room for a library right now. My hope is that when our new secondary building is completed we will have a library for our scholars.  The projected move in date for the new building is August 2018.”  So in a few years a library will be in the works, and this could benefit the students attending UME tremendously. 10/5/16