The Bishop’s School celebrated the first day of its 2012 school year amid excitement from students, faculty and visitors. On Aug. 22, the school held a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the campus’s brand new Manchester Library & Learning Center — a $10 million, 22,000-square-foot facility that houses more than 27,000 books, group-study rooms, librarian offices, an information technology room and a two-story atrium that captures and sheds natural lighting throughout the interior of the building. The Irving Gill-inspired building, designed by architect Michael Wilkes of Delawie Architects, was constructed with Craftsman-style details ingrained throughout the building’s lighting, furniture and design elements to honor the longstanding history of The Bishop’s School campus’s existing Irving Gill-designed architecture. “Today, it is very gratifying to see this beautiful building behind us and to know that for generations to come, it will be a gathering place for all who love to learn, who want to share their learning, and to study together and to meet with their faculty together,” said library benefactress Betsy Manchester at the dedication. “I challenge the students here to take great care of it, to honor it, to make it a special place for you and those who will follow you here.” Head of School Aimeclaire Roche announced other news to students, parents and visitors at the ceremony. “I am pleased to announce today the funding for two new endowed faculty chairs given through the benchmark funds of an anonymous Bishop’s family. Today, we are pleased to honor the first chair holders of these prestigious endowments,” Roche said. “Head librarian Sarah Lucy will be the inaugural holder of the Benchmark Fund Faculty Chair in Library Science, and Learning Center director Ken Chep will be the inaugural holder of the Benchmark Fund Faculty Chair in Learning Support.” Roche also announced the launch of a new solar energy program, funded by Bishop’s parents Karen and Mike Stone, which will lead to nearly 1,000 solar modules on the flat roofs of the campus’s major buildings, including at the newly dedicated library, saving the school an average of 9 million pounds of CO2 and $88,000 a year. Roche made one final surprise announcement. To mark the dedication of the Manchester Library & Learning Center and kick off the school year right, seven students and two members of the Bishop’s School staff and faculty received an iPad to take home with them to discover a new world of teaching and learning outside the classroom.