It used to be considered common courtesy to be quiet in the library, but times have changed. New podcast equipment encourages students to speak out while they spend time in the library’s Studio B.

Librarian Briggetta Del Re started a Donors Choose account with a goal of $300 to raise money for new podcast equipment. Teachers donated a bulk of the money, but PNC Bank helped as well, Del Re said.

“I had gone to PNC for a conference and after networking, they Googled me and found the fundraiser online,” Del Re said.

Various people from the conference donated money.

“It was awesome. I couldn’t believe it was all from just one conference,” Del Re said.

The donations allowed Del Re to purchase a table and chairs for podcast creators to interview their guests, as well as acoustic panels to line the walls and help with sound.

The district will provide the podcast microphone, which will be connected to the Audacity program on the Mac in Studio B. As soon as everything is installed, Del Re hopes to bring in more students to create podcasts.

“We wanted to give it one more layer of ways to use a studio to show your learning,” Del Re said.