The highly anticipated addition to Arlington High School is scheduled to open on January 8, 2025, bringing a state-of-the-art library and enhanced fine arts facilities to the school. While the grand opening is still days away, Arlington High’s librarian, Maryjane O'Halloran-Beane, is already moving into the new space and preparing it for students.
“I’m so excited,” said O'Halloran-Beane, who has served as the school's librarian for 30 years. “For the first time in 30 years, I have windows.”
The new library, part of a larger expansion funded by the 2019 Bond, features towering ceilings, modern lighting, and an open-concept layout that O'Halloran-Beane describes as having a “university feel.” It offers quiet study areas, ample seating, collaboration spaces – or “think areas” – equipped with projectors, plugs, and even chess and Lego sets for students.
“This space gives the students more options, places to work, places to study, and hopefully places to read,” O'Halloran-Beane said. While she is thrilled with the new space, she does have one minor complaint: “There’s not enough green in here,” she noted, though plans are already in place to remedy that with green chairs and artwork.
In addition to the new library, the expansion includes new classrooms, a front entrance, a dance studio, and dedicated spaces for orchestra, band, art, and more, ensuring a wide array of opportunities for students.
