Not just for book lovers: Westport Library hosts a variety of programs for students

In its century-long tenure, The Westport Library, located downtown, attracts many students of all ages eager to read and learn. It has been the main source of activities and always provides a laid back workspace to produce work.

“When students study at The Westport Library, it isn’t uncommon to see pizza being delivered, furniture being moved around, or lively conversations taking place. The modern workforce is based around teamwork and collaboration, so it is important that students be given a chance to collaborate while studying,” Jaina Lewis, Teen Director at the library said.

Today, The Westport Library provides all ages with a very wide selection of activities. This month, there are events almost every day for children.

For example, on the Oct. 23, there is a Minecraft gathering at the Library for the third through fifth graders who would like to play together.

The library offers a robotics club, available to Westport kids that are ages six to nine, as well. It’s a place where friends can geek out a few times a month and create some cool machines using lego mindstorms EV3 kits in a casual environment.

Carly Kobylinski ’16 was always finding herself at the library when she was younger, recalling, “I went and saw one of the Harry Potter movies, but that was a long time ago.”

When asking students about these clubs, most had no idea they existed. “No way,” Mikaela Dedona ’15 emphatically responded when asked about it.

Andres Marmelo ’16 takes full advantage of The Westport Library. When asked if he’s been there, he responded, “I’m a Westport resident. Of course, I go there.”

Being the oldest of four tends to be a problem when Marmelo is trying to get school work done. So, he resolves this problem by taking his work over to the Westport Library.

“It’s a good space for quiet study. Plus the school library is not open at night or during the weekend,” Marmelo said.

The library proves to be a popular study spot. According to Lewis, during midterms and finals over 100 students a night go to work there.

Students have benefited from The Westport Library and the Westport Library has benefited from them. “High school students are a vital part of our library. Students serve as coaches in our Makerspace, help teach coding, and help plan large events,” Lewis said.

Overall, between the multitude of programs and spots to study, The Westport Library is certainly a favorable Staples hangout.