Schools
Troy Middle School library receives major renovation
Learning Resource Center made more efficient, user-friendly

Troy Middle School’s Learning Resource Center received quite a facelift over the summer, with cost-effective, user-friendly, comfortable upgrades.
Flooring was replaced with low-maintenance vinyl plank; the space was painted Troy blue; and the old fluorescent lighting was replaced with cost-saving and easy-on-the-eye LED lighting.
The old bookshelves were also replaced, many now equipped with wheels to allow for flexible seating areas; the circulation desk was replaced with a more functional layout; and tables and chairs were replaced with an array of styles, such as cushioned benches, lounge chairs, café-style workspaces, and conventional tables and chairs.
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New storage cabinets in the back help staff work more efficiently.
“Students now have a nice, modern library that is more open and airy and functional,” T.M.S. LRC Associate Tracy Voels said. “One of the big changes here at Troy Middle School is going one-to-one, students-to-laptops. Before the renovation, we had 18 desktop computers in the library. Those have been removed, and students now have more space to work with their laptops and other devices.”
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There are still plenty of books on the shelves, though, Voels said. Students use the library for browsing for books, as well as for e-learning and e-research.
Troy Middle School Principal Renee Marski said she had a vision for the library as a place where students could come and be comfortable and relaxed while having a great learning experience.
“I am very proud of the upgrades that we have been able to provide for our students,” she said. “With the help of Superintendent Dr. Todd Koehl, our board of education, Tracy Voels, Jayne Worden, Ben Hettel and former Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Jenna Woodland, we have been able to do that for our students. I am so proud of it, and it makes me so happy.”
Troy staff did the remodeling work over the summer. Director of Facilities and Operations Ben Hettel said, “The library today is much more functional, with students being one-on-one with devices. How students utilize libraries today is very different than it once was.”
Voels and Troy LRC Associate Jayne Worden got the space up and running.
Troy Middle School is a Troy Community School District 30-C school.