Redlands’ Moore Middle School gets refreshed library

Redlands Daily Facts March 20, 2025

Moore Middle School students Henry “Hank” Washburn, left, and Timothy Toma check out the Redlands’ school’s refurbished library after a Thursday, March 20, 2025, reveal. (Courtesy of Karen Pineda, Redlands Unified School District)

By Mark Acosta

Jenann Elias had a vision to bring her school library “into the 21st century.”

It happened Thursday, March 20.

Elias, a teacher/librarian at Redlands’ Moore Middle School, and students enjoyed the reveal of the refurbished library, made possible after she won a national contest.

“We need a way to bring the library into the 21st century and to meet the needs of our students,” Elias said in a video seeking votes.

She ended up being among the four winners across the nation in the competition hosted by KI, a Wisconsin-based furniture manufacturer.

Elias submitted designs for her dream space and won $40,000 worth of furniture to modernize a library that hadn’t been updated in 40 years. Elias was selected from more than 500 teachers who entered, a news release states.

The new library is “a modern hub with an adaptable layout to foster student autonomy, creativity and social interaction,” the release states.

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