The Manheim Township High School Library has been implementing a variety of new technologies since the arrival of librarian Mrs. Karen Leisey in 2017. The new additions include green screens, a 3D printer, Apple TVs on carts, and Spheros: small motorized robots remotely controlled by the user.

Overall, these new technologies have been appreciated by students. “Green screens get used a couple times a week. Kids pop in, make PSAs for their classes. Sometimes they have to create a scene or choose a background. They get used the most,” Leisey said. She also said that the Apple TVs have been of great use to students working on presentations. 

The 3D printer in the library has been utilized by many classes, and even by students outside of class. “Somebody made a flower for their girlfriend, and then somebody else made a pin,” Leisey recalled. The MTHS Library charges $1 per hour of print time to any student looking to use the printer for non-school purposes. 

The Spheros, however, have been met with mixed responses. The small robots are primarily used by science and robotics classes for simple lessons on coding, though their usefulness in action is not fully clear. “I think they’ve been really fun to work with! I haven’t really seen how they can help students learn though. If anything, they can be a bit distracting,” Cloe Zuercher, a sophomore, commented. Others believe that the tools are simple and effective. Lisa Poliski, a humanities teacher, used the spheros with her history class during a lesson on absolute monarchies. “It was a great learning experience, the students had a lot of fun,” Poliski said. 

These new technologies in our library have brought with them quite a bit of use, and new additions will hopefully be implemented as time moves on. “Always look for more, we’re going to be adding more every year!” Leisey said.