The Learning Commons (LC) is the heart of Royal Oak High School. Go down the 300’s hallway, take a right, and you’re there. It’s a place for students to hang out, do research, and check out a good book. Students and staff know that the LC exists, but do we really know about all of the important things it has to offer? What goes on in the background? Who are the staff? What do we not know about this space? Amy Hermon, ROHS librarian, research, information and technology specialist, works hard to keep the library current and the LC space helpful and welcoming. Hermon brings the same enthusiasm to her job daily, and is happy to assist everyone.

“The best part of this job is that I get to help everybody,”she said. “It doesn’t matter which class you’re in, which grade you’re in. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a teacher. Don’t feel afraid to ask if you have a question.”
Hermon, who has been working at ROHS for four years, graduated with a degree in library and information science and started her career in 1992 as a high school teacher. In the early years of her career, Hermon was tasked with covering multiple buildings in a year, having to drive from one school to another after only a few hours of being at work. Hermon explained that it was really hard to support students and staff that way. In her job at ROHS, Hermon can stay the whole day and be content that she doesn’t need to rush around. Instead, she can interact with a surplus of staff and students and provide help as needed.
“This, to me, is definitely my dream job!” she said.

Thomas McLeod assists Hermon in the LC. His duties include processing new books, preparing spaces for incoming classes, and fixing technical problems. He also helps students with math. Before coming to ROHS, McLeod taught at the Royal Oak Middle School for twenty-five years, primarily teaching sixth grade math. “What I really love to do is work with math students. It’s not
all the time, but when I get to do math, I enjoy that,” McLeod said.
If students have trouble with a computer, need to check out a book, or need help with a math problem, McLeod is happy to help anyone with a question or concern. The LC is very different from other spaces in the building. It can be thought of as a more casual and flexible learning environment, but there are also expectations that students should remember when walking in. During your time in the LC, it might be easy to forget that it it is a public space. “Our Learning Commons isn’t like a traditional library where you have to be super quiet.” McLeod said. “We don’t have a lot of rules – just respect one another.” Whether it’s doing homework, printing something, or talking to friends, students must be courteous toward others. The Learning Commons aims to celebrate thoughts and ideas. Using the space respectfully will keep it a great space for everyone. One of the most important aspects of the Learning Commons is, of course, the books. ROHS has a goal of collecting more books to broaden the array of selections.
“Our goal is that as our students grow in this space as young adults, this collection helps them, not only with their own personal growth, but also to appreciate the world around them,” Hermon said. Students can gain support through the LC, whether through its staff or the resources that are available. The library is focused on acquiring books that appeal to high school students. The
influence that a good book can have on readers is immense, and Hermon wants to make sure students have a role in growing the book collection.
“Mrs. Hermon just got a nice grant worth thousands of dollars to get books in the library,” McLeod said.

The grant is called ESSER Funds, which stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds. The Federal Government decided to provide large sums of money to schools as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. There had been a decline in student education, and the government acted accordingly by allocating generous amounts of money to school programs. In-school libraries were designated as very important places to fund.

“When school stopped on March 13th of 2020, a lot of us can tell you how many library books never came back after the pandemic,” Hermon said. “We lost quite a bit of our collection
because it wasn’t physically brought back.”
The Learning Commons also provides digital resources like eBooks, audiobooks, and apps. Hermon purchased a subscription to the New York Times that ends in 2027 and is available to staff and students by checking the Learning Commons website. The website can be accessed by signing into a school email, opening Google Chrome, and clicking the ROHS links on the top left area
of the screen.
At this time, the Learning Commons is trying to create a collection that will meet the needs and expectations of hundreds of potential readers. So pop down to the LC to check out an intriguing book, and make sure to return it so that the Learning Commons can continue to be the exceptional place that it is!