The Chandramohan Library & Learning Commons has always been more than a place to study. A crossroads for deep research, play, and community presentations and gatherings, the library is a microcosm in which curiosity and collaboration meet contemplation and focus. 
 
It is not surprising, then, that the grand reopening of the space after a semester-long remodel focused on the students first. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Head of School Vanessa Walker-Oakes—who was joined by our very own Wolf and the lead donor of the project, former Trustee Rich Webster—students literally took center stage in the presentation venue and everywhere else. 
 

Since the opening on February 6, the students have swiftly and completely adopted the space. The storytelling center and WENDY FU & JAY LI FAMILY WOLF CAFE invite collaboration and conversation, while the JENNET CHOW FAMILY ART GALLERY invites engagement through art. The STUDENMUND FAMILY READING ROOM, meanwhile, encourages students to explore the 8,000+ book collection. 
 
 Upstairs in the WEBSTER FAMILY RESEARCH CENTER, classmates casually claim their study nooks and cubbies, nestle into window seats, and settle into cocoon-like study spaces in the all-silent NIJJAR FAMILY WOLF DEN.  They make themselves at home reading, working on group projects, or playing a game of chess. 
 

 
In planning the space, architects and school leaders worked with librarians and members of the student Library Advisory Council to understand what felt essential and what should be updated, something Board member Hazim Rabadi boils down to "enhancing the good and eliminating the bad.” You want a final structure, he says, “where no one says, ‘I wish…’”. 
 
"We wanted to know how needs have evolved since the previous construction so that we could project where the space might be going based on the school's successful programs," elaborates Facilities Director Nick Adams-Wright. "Let's maximize the space for the new activities and programs that are being developed." 
 
Associate Head of School Sarah Cooper valued student input in making a vibrant space. "They appreciated the warmth of the library—with nooks, colors, and spaces that encourage different modes of learning,” she says. “Our campus is buzzing all the time, so students wanted to keep a silent study space. They also wanted to keep elements that they saw as iconic, like the window seats." 
 

 
Walker-Oakes is effusive about the details she hopes will have a big impact. "On the upper floor, I love that students' work together is at the center of the space." On the first floor, "the ramp that leads to the stage in the JANET XU AND JAMES DING FAMILY PRESENTATION VENUE is an invitation—come up, whoever you are and wherever you are in your process, and share. We invite an iterative feedback loop where students can develop even more respect for the process than for the outcome." 
 
Webster says, "We took the lead on funding the library project because I was excited to see the students collaborate with one another, enhancing the already strong culture of community at Flintridge Prep. One of the school’s great strengths is its combination of deep intellectual engagement with a strong focus on community." 

 
Tenth graders Camila Carranza, Sophie Ting, and Olivia Chan, who had taken residence in an upstairs study room one Monday morning, echo Webster’s hopes for the library, saying that the rooms upstairs are perfect for studying. “The light is beautiful,” says Olivia, while Sophie adds, “I like the way the books are moved to the side.”  
 
The trio sees opportunities for the newly introduced spaces, as well. “The Latino Club is doing a salsa event in the presentation space and will have food in the cafe,” says Camila.