Student Committee Brings Life to Fordham Prep's McNamara Library

Items curated by the student committee for the McNamara Library’s Science Department exhibit include a stock certificate from the Vanadium Corporation of America, the cast of a shoe print, and a robot used in engineering classes.

Fordham Prep’s McNamara library is located in the heart of the school’s main building, Shea Hall. Like any high school library, its function centers on quiet study and research. Last school year it was even more quiet as the Prep operated a hybrid academic schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

However, with a new school year and a return to full in-person learning, the library has undergone many changes. New School Librarian and Media Specialist Eleanor Friedman began her tenure in September. The month also christened the new Adlerman Makerspace Lab used in conjunction with the Prep’s iSTEAM initiative. This new space joined the school’s Global Education Conference Room and Art Reference Room as those that call the library home. It even has new trash receptacles to help with the school’s Green Initiative. 

As the physical and perhaps metaphorical center of student life at Fordham Prep, a number of students wished to imbue the space with more of the school’s unique culture. As a result, the students formed a Library Committee. Friedman acts as the club’s moderator.

“The idea of a committee evolved from early conversations among a few students who were eager to create an organized approach to managing students seeking service hours,” Friedman said. “They were interested in the opportunity to become involved in creating a welcoming and engaging library that is a hub of information and heart of the school community,” she continued.

The student committee in Fordham Prep’s McNamara Library at Rose Hill. 

“The [Fordham Prep] community is loud and vibrant, so we wanted to show that openness with exhibits and art,” said Brandon Genaro ‘22, a student on the committee.

Visual art created by Fordham Prep students in one of the McNamara Library’s glass display cases.

By October, the Library Committee was hard at work curating items for the space that would reflect the energy brought to the campus by students, faculty, and staff each day. Student creations from art classes were put on display, posters detailing the stages of the life of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, used during the faculty and staff retreat in September were affixed to glass cases, and a white board is set up to display a new quote from a public figure each day. Other installations by the committee include an Edgar Allen Poe themed exhibit as well as a curation of items from iSTEAM courses and the Science Department.

The Library Committee put together “The Raven Exhibit”, an Edgar Allen Poe themed display during the month of October. 

“Students have been developing leadership skills as they coordinate communication among themselves and teachers, develop thematic exhibits and events, and establish a sense of community for students seeking a place to work that reflects the shared values and culture of Fordham Prep,” Friedman noted.

Students on the committee recognize that McNamara Library plays a crucial role in providing a window to the past. “I love that the library covers a history that we never lived through,” said Daniel Lang ‘23. Thanks to the committee, the library can also play a part in showcasing tangible elements of the present.

Library Committee member Daniel Lang ‘23 stands with October 21’s Quote of the Day from Bruno Mars. 

When asked about the decision to join the Library Committee, Haider Qazi ‘23 gave a simple answer. “I wanted to be a part of something more,” he said. “The Library Committee is home.”  

The committee’s ongoing work utilizes their talents to maintain a space that reflects the Fordham Prep community. 

Named after former Prep student and trustee Gerald C. McNamara ‘41, the McNamara Library holds 10,000 print and electronic titles along with over 50 periodical subscriptions. McNamara Library is also home to the Global Education Room and the new Adlerman Makerspace Lab. 

In addition to the McNamara Library at Fordham Prep, students can request permission from faculty to access Fordham University’s William D. Walsh Family Library at Rose Hill. The library’s five floors house 1,000,000 volumes, 380,000 government documents, and a Museum of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Art with over 200 artifacts. 

Learn more about Fordham Prep’s McNamara Library and Fordham University’s Walsh Family Library.