One might think that a library is a dusty place full of old books, rarely visited by anyone. As empty as the library may seem, people are borrowing books.

“A lot of teachers and students check out books,” librarian Elena Ortega said. “I keep up with the statistics and basically everything in the library.”

Book checkout statistics show that in September 2016, 699 books were checked out. The lowest number was 261 books in September 2017. This September the number rose to 579.

“The statistics went down a lot in September 2017, but I am glad it went back up this year,” Ortega said. “We had new books this year, and most students were interested in reading the new books. That’s why the statistics went up.”

Checking out books comes down to personal preference.

“People check out books or read books,” junior Araceli Iglesias said. “They value the importance of reading and its connection to read from a physical copy rather than a screen.”

Others feel they don’t need to check out anything unless it is school related.

“I don’t check out books anymore nor read books unless my teachers assign us to check out books for an assignment,” junior Gabriel Oropeza said.

The debate over reading from a screen or a physical book continues even among students.

“I don’t check out books at school but I do purchase books. I would rather read from a paper book than a screen, especially when reading young adult romances,” Iglesias said. “Last time I checked out a book was last April.”

Others prefer to read from a device. The library offers three Ebook websites containing more than a million resources available for students to check out.

“I would rather read from a screen than a book because I am used to reading from my phone,” Oropeza said. “If I happen to read a book, it would be an action book. But the last book I checked out was after spring break.”

The library is more than just a place for books. It is a community center for all students. The library was built in 1992 and houses approximately 20,068 books and CD’s.

“Students can come and socialize with their friends, play board games and, work on assignments,” Ortega said. “If anyone needs to get away from a loud crowd such as the commons, the library is the right place to be in a quiet environment.”