The library at Loreto Grammar has been given an upgrade after a £25,000 donation from the Parents' Association - with headteacher Jane Beever reaffirming the school's commitment to the importance of reading.
The donation has enabled the Altrincham school's library to be significantly reconfigured, as well as new shelving and fresh carpets.
It's the first time the library - with its distinctive stained glass windows - has been revamped in a quarter of a century.
"The donation from the Parents' Association has helped to create a much more attractive and welcoming area, and we're very grateful to them for it," said headteacher Mrs Beever.
"It was a fantastic use for the money because this is a space that is usually packed out. We have girls who are librarians and reading champions throughout the school, and girls will often spend their lunchtimes in the library with a book in their hand."
Girls variously said the new library was "a lot more classy than before", "much more conducive to studying" and "a more modern and inviting space".
There are few more passionate believers in the power of reading than Mrs Beever, who has been headteacher at Loreto since 2006.
"Reading is the absolute key to everything," she said.
"What we encourage the girls to do is to not only read, but to read critically, to be critical thinkers.
"That helps them to think about what they're reading in the press, or what they're reading on social media."
With support from librarians Mrs McDonough and Mrs Jones, the school ensures that the shelves are kept up to date with relevant and topical literature, and it recently had a focus on literature in black history.
"What you're hoping to do is to keep broadening their horizons, and hopefully explore other genres," added Mrs Beever.
Although admitting that it can sometimes be a "challenge" to get young people to read books in the age of the smartphone, Mrs Beever said that the girls still appreciate the escapism that comes with getting lost in a new book.
"It's a window to other worlds. I'm always saying to the girls, what are you reading at the moment? Getting lost in the library with a wonderful book is just sheer joy."
