Located in Room 112, the history library gives students an abundance of books to get immersed in any historic time period in American and World History. Established by history teachers Michael Martell and Christopher Gorham in 2016, the library is composed mostly of donated and purchased books relating to history.
“[We] have too many [books] in our houses and neither one of us ever wanted to get rid of the books,” Martell said. “We both collect books. So why not turn that into a library that the students can use?”
Most of the books are found through yard sales, book stores, and the JV Fletcher Library sale. The books are nonfiction for the most part, and range from primary sources and thesauruses to religious texts, providing many useful resources for any student to utilize. The library also has some realistic fiction books that relate to history, such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. There are also books that are rare artifacts which kept at Martell’s home, and are only brought for special occasions or when a related topic is discussed in class.
“I have a first edition of ‘Civil Disobedience’,'” Martell said. “I have a signed economic report from JFK, as well as a copy of Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee that is signed by all the descendants of the surviving Native Americans who passed away there.”
The latter book is one of Martell’s favorite additions to the library, alongside ‘Washington’s Rules of Civility’. The majority of the library includes books about American History, which are arranged in chronological order, starting from pre-colonial era books and ending with the modern era. There is also a World History and reference section that are not arranged chronologically.
“I am always looking for Native American primary sources, books, authors, and anything written in the pre-colonial era,” Martell said.
Martell has looked for opportunities to expand the library’s size, as space might run out. He hopes to get another U.S. History teacher on board with expanding the library, or receive a bigger room for more books. Martell would also like to spread the word about the library to students, as the library contains specific books that can be useful for students’ assignments or interest in history.
“I like my room,” Martell said. “It’s inviting, comfortable, and kids want to be in there.”
