How much mourning is enough?

Today, a new wall of lockers seals off the old school library, which has been gutted and stripped down to bare concrete and ceiling-tile frames.

"The only things in there are the lights, sprinkler system and the fire-alarm system," a building spokesman said.

A temporary library is housed outside the school in two large trailers.

Though the old library is concealed, its symbolic weight remains too much for many families of the victims.

"The overwhelming presence of this crime scene is too intense and cannot be overcome with new interior finishes," said Dawn Anna, mother of Lauren Townsend. "It will always be the site of the massacre."

Late last week, the Parents Group released an open letter repeating their demand that the current structure must go. The group has commissioned the University of Denver to perform a survey to help decide the fate of the library. The Parents Group has not endorsed any single plan, but generally favors removing the library floor to create a two-story atrium. They say a large corporate sponsor has made an offer to fund the reconstruction.

Announcement of the new survey comes as a clear rebuke to the district. In early June, a design-review board, which included students, was assembled to decide the library's fate. That group recommended the library undergo some cosmetic changes like new paint, carpeting and layout. District officials met with the group in June and agreed to hold focus-group meetings, followed by a comprehensive survey of parents and students to decide the library's fate.

Again, the victims' parents appear to be headed into conflict not just with the school district, but with the majority of the student population. Students have been adamant that their school remain standing; most seem to favor fewer changes rather than more. They have generally applauded the renovations, which included $1.2 million of cosmetic overhaul with almost no structural changes. Many say they consider any significant renovation as conceding victory to the killers.

Ironically, Kaufman said, the Parents Group has not met face-to-face with students, because very early on, they foresaw the prospect of their needs conflicting with the majority. "They didn't want the community pitted against them," Kaufman said.

It's become a continuing refrain at Columbine: Life is great for the mainstream majority, but often problematic for those on the fringes.

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