GREENBELT, Md. — As head librarian of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Tammi Tatro had a list of frustrations about the school's library: It lacked sufficient natural light, she had no sight lines into several corners of the space, and the average age of the library's book collection dated to 2001.
Still, the 50-year-old, two-story library remained a hub of activity with students doing research for class assignments, gathering with friends during lunch period, and taking supplemental classroom lessons on methodology, science and other research-based lessons.
Last December, the hidden sight lines, dark furniture and aging books became a thing of the past through a library renovation project that added new lighting, murals, furniture, technology, and thousands of culturally relevant and diverse books.
Tatro says the average age of books in the library's collection now dates to 2013 and that more students are now visiting the library. "A lot of them have come in and said, "Oh, this is what a library is supposed to look like.'"
The makeover at Eleanor Roosevelt High School is one of 48 library renovations in Prince George's County Public Schools happening between July 2025 and Aug 2026. In total, about 26,000 students and 12,000 educators will use the newly designed spaces.
"I think the biggest benefit, of course, is students having the opportunity to be in a new space with vibrant colors that's more welcoming," says Coquette Petrella, supervisor for the Office of Library Media Services in the district. More important, she says, are the enhanced opportunities for student collaboration and gatherings for teachers and families.
When Petrella first heard last year about the opportunity to renovate dozens of district libraries, she says she was excited and grateful. Some of the libraries still had their original furniture and design from as far back as the 1970s, she noted.
Vibrant and welcoming spaces in schools can have a positive academic and social impact on students, she says. "They're in a space that they feel very proud of, and I'm happy for them to have that opportunity," Petrella says.
Making 'dreams into reality'
The library makeovers in Prince George's County schools were a joint effort among the school district, Heart of America and the Pull Up Fund. Heart of America, a nonprofit that works to transform learning spaces for underserved students, helped plan and manage the renovations, while Pull Up Fund, a local philanthropy, donated $5 million.
Costs to the district were minimal, and its maintenance staff helped with some of the work, according to Petrella. No structural changes were made to the libraries, but upgrades included new lighting, furniture, paint and other improvements.
Every project was unique to a school's needs and uses, and planned through collaboration with district teachers, librarians, administrators and students, according to Heart of America.
The library renovations occurred in phases across the district, with each project taking several weeks to two months. Prince George's County Public Schools, with 132,123 students in the 2024-25 school year, is Maryland's second largest and the 18th largest in the nation.
In addition to the new aesthetics, the renovated schools got a collective 25,000 new books, as well as 1,500 tech devices and tools like smart TVs, projectors, computer stations, 3D printers, and robotics kits.
The Prince George's County Public Schools’ renovations represented the Heart of America’s first-ever districtwide, simultaneous library transformation effort, according to the nonprofit. The organization — based in Washington, D.C. — has helped transform 1,400 learning spaces nationwide and provided over 4.4 million books and $14.3 million in technology over the past 30 years.
"We start by thinking big, but then working down to what we can do with the support and budget we have," says Jill Hardy Heath, president and CEO of Heart of America. It's about turning "dreams into reality.”
By having funding partners and negotiating discounts with vendors, Heart of America can support more than 150 renovation projects a year, Heath says. In fact, the year-long Prince George's project originally targeted 47 libraries, but because of cost savings, another library in the system will get a makeover, she says.
The school district's library renovations included the Bonnie F. Johns Library, which is also known as the Educational Media Center or professional library. The renovated space serves the entire district by providing future and current librarians and educators with professional training and resources.
The foundation for 'all teaching and learning'
Tatro and Heath toured the renovated library at Eleanor Roosevelt High School on May 27, pointing out the new blue and gray paint, soft-cushioned seating, well-stocked maker space, and Cricut cutting machine, among other upgrades.
They were joined by Principal Portia Barnes and two 11th grader library volunteers, Anna Dahlen and Jason Jackatey.
Barnes, a 1989 graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt, says she always appreciated the two-story open concept design of the school library, but by the time she became principal four years ago, the space had become dated.
The renovation gave the library more color, openness and a "whole media center vibe," she says. "I consider the media center the hub, core or foundation for all teaching and learning."
Dahlen says she's noticed more students perusing books since the makeover. The new collection of books is "more relatable to them." For her own part, Dahlen says she prefers fantasy, fiction and nonfiction.
Jackatey says he is drawn to the library's manga section, which holds Japanese comics and novels. And since he helped organize the books into the newly renovated space, he says he knows where to find all his favorite books, as well as resources like AP study guides.
"Everything changed in the library since we renovated it, and it feels more bright," Jackatey says.
Dahlen and Jackatey helped prepare the library for renovation last fall by weeding out old books to make room for the new additions. But Tatro and the students were still reminiscing about one of the books that was removed — a large Oxford English dictionary.
"Do you need another one? We'll get you one," Heath says to Tatro.
"Sure," Tatro replies. "Actually, that's one of the things I'm going to do next year, is have the kids use the dictionaries when they're looking up their research articles.”
