With the help of community donors and parent volunteers, a campaign to raise $100,000 to renovate the Washington Elementary library has been launched by the Mount Vernon Community School District Foundation. With a generous $25,000 donation from Gary’s Foods, over $52,000 has been raised for the project as of October 30.
The renovation of this space aims to address space and accessibility issues the library has been facing in recent years, especially since the library doubles as a classroom, a safe place for students with special needs, a staff meeting room, a resource for Kid’s Club and a community space. Since the last update to the elementary library in 1989, genres in children’s literature have evolved rapidly yet the space has not. Right now, this means first-grade readers are sifting through books appropriate for fourth-graders and the high demand books students want to read are limited without space to grow. Though ADA compliant, the library is not easily accessible or inclusive of all students. A projector screen overlaps the picture book section, students under 36” are out of sight and the shelves, of which many were handed down from the District’s other libraries, are breaking beyond repair.
According to elementary principal Kate Stanton, it is the library staff who have compensated for the shortcomings of the space.
“Our teacher-librarian, Megan Casey, has worked tirelessly to make the best of the space we have, including finding ways for all students to become respectful, independent users of the library,” Stanton said. “Megan, the librarians before her and all of our staff are the ones fostering the love of reading in our students. It is exciting to imagine a library space that bolsters their efforts, and to see donors like Gary’s support the vision for what this library could be.”
Through creative use of library-specific movable shelving and furniture, the renovation of Washington Elementary’s library will add 30 shelves and provide dedicated space for growing genres including children’s biographies, graphic novels, early chapter books and STEM kits. The anticipated renovation will include a new, dedicated workspace which can host evolving activities, such as puzzles, that promote teamwork from class to class and support students with behavioral support needs.
Seating for children, which now only consists of a rug, will be stadium-style, which ensures that all children — regardless of physical limitations — can participate equally. This seating style provides variation in height, which is needed for kids with intervention and device needs to safely engage next to their classmates, and allows children in wheelchairs to sit side-by-side with their peers.
The $25,000 donation from Gary’s Foods came just as organizers were preparing to spread the word about the campaign, which only officially launched in mid-October. The goal is to raise the entire $100,000 before the end of the calendar year to secure the 2023 pricing on the shelving and furniture, plus ensure that the materials will arrive in time for a summer 2024 installation.
Interested donors can pledge support for the project through April 1, 2024. To support the project, checks can be made payable to the MVCSD Foundation and mailed to: MVCSD Foundation, 525 Palisades Rd SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314. Gifts can also be made via Venmo @mvcsdfoundation by putting “WE library” in the comment box. Online donations links can be found via the District website under “Foundation”.
Organizers also plan to set up a CauseTeam fundraising page to maximize support through the holiday shopping season and are working to exhaust all avenues to ensure the funds are secured. For more information, contact [email protected].
Campaign launched to support Washignton Elementary Library
Taryn Kuntz
Special to the MVL Sun
November 2, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.