The library is providing hot chocolate and coffee in the morning for students. There is something similar to this idea at the Academies of Loudoun. The coffee shop provides students with the opportunity to wind down during school hours. 

Mary Beth Bowen, the school librarian, runs the Library Bean.

“The Library Bean is a way that we can help students in the library,” Bowen said. “We see students regularly in the library and they’re just dragging and their energy levels are really low. So, we thought that having access to some caffeine could be helpful and enjoyable.”

There are always many students in the library before school starts. The library is a place where students can congregate and just catch up with each other before classes even begin. Even during lunch, there are people who opt to eat in the library along with a couple of friends. 

“We can be a space for students to come and relax and unwind and get rid of the stress of the regular classroom,” Bowen said.

All of the funds that are received from running the Library Bean go towards any of the Makerspace activities that the library runs throughout the year.

It can be said that the library is a place where anyone can feel safe to read a book, go on a computer or just talk. Throughout the year, Freedom’s librarians organize various activities for students to participate in during their free time.