Library to be dedicated

STERLING - In her 3 decades of teaching English at Sterling High School, Marie Dickson sent a lot of kids scurrying to the library. There they navigated the Dewey decimal system and bent over old wooden tables, scribbling out papers in - can you believe it? - longhand. Ms. Dickson may have retired, but her spirit lives on in a library resplendent with new computers, comfy chairs and, of all things, a coffee bar. Saturday, the school will dedicate its renovated library to Dickson, who waged war against split infinitives and dangling participles at SHS from 1949 to 1980. Among those scheduled to attend the ceremony is a famous Sterling alumnus who says he owes a lot to Ms. Dickson's tutelage - best-selling fantasy writer Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series. "Terry Brooks is the most famous author from our school and a student of Ms. Dickson, and wanted to be here to honor to her," librarian Kathy Brokaw said. Dickson now lives in southern Illinois. Officials hope she can attend the ceremony. "There's been a lot of compliments of her over the years," Principal Jerry Binder said. "There are a lot of folks who wanted to see her honored in the high school. "A lot of our alumni have fond memories of Ms. Dickson bringing them to the library to do their research papers and do those things." Over the summer, the 30-something library got a $500,000 face-lift, thanks to two private donations. Now the bookshelves are lower, the chairs are more comfortable and there's a coffee counter, just like Barnes and Noble's. All of which make the library more welcoming, sophomore Aldriana Belmonte said. "It's seems a lot bigger, there's a lot of room," Aldriana said. It may seem more spacious, but in reality, the school closed off one-third of the library's space when creating an extra classroom, a resource room and a new, very busy computer lab, where 40 17-inch computer screens are mounted on adjustable towers. The computer lab is so popular, in fact, that it is booked through next month. "The technology is part of the world; kids need to use technology, they need to know how to use it well. It makes information more accessible," Brokaw said. The students are enjoying the new space. "I like it better than last year," senior Tyler Carrell said. "It's a lot neater, it seems a lot more organized." An open house for the renovated Sterling High School Library is noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at 1608 Fourth Ave. The dedication ceremony begins at 1 p.m. The event coincides with Centennial Auditorium's 10th anniversary open house, 1 to 3 p.m. That evening, there will be a show at the auditorium, featuring performances by the SHS Madrigal Choir, the Barbershoppers, Woodlawn Arts Academy and SHS Alumni. Tickets are $15 at the box office, which is open from noon to 4 p.m. through Friday, or online. Proceeds benefit fine arts programs in the school district. For more information, go to www.centennialauditorium. org or call 815- 622-3248.