Laura Bush Foundation funds reading programs for local students

Two West Valley area junior high schools were recently granted $5,000 each to expand their library collections for this school year.

West Lake Junior High, 3400 South 3450 West, and Valley Junior High School, 4195 South 3200 West, were selected two of only 241 schools chosen nationally to receive the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries Grant this spring. The schools may use the money to purchase books, audio books or e-publications (books available online) to add to the library collections.

Valley Junior High School Library Technology Specialist Leigh Riding said the money would be used to purchase books to support the advancement of students’ reading levels, which will be determined through a standardized test administered schoolwide through the weeks of Sept. 12-24.

She said the money would also be used to add new copies of the popular book titles that students have requested and choose to read for fun.

“Our students love to read,” Riding said.

Riding and West Lake Junior High School Library Technology Specialist Rosann Markhan worked together during the last school year to put together the application for the competitive grant, which they submitted over the Christmas holiday break.

At the end of May, the local librarians were notified that the schools had been selected. The schools received the money in June, and the new books will be selected and purchased later this fall.

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries was founded to “support the education of our nation’s children by providing funds to update, extend and diversify the book and print collection of America’s school libraries.”

Since 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded grants of up to $5,000 to schools in all 50 states and provided additional funding to rebuild libraries damaged in natural disasters, such as hurricanes.

Riding said the library is a valuable resource for students and an important part of the school curriculum because it serves students who want to study or read before and after school, and during their lunch hour.

“Students can always come to the library with a hall pass from their teacher,” Riding said.

To encourage students to read, this year Valley Junior High School is also holding its first annual Paws to Read Program.

Students are being encouraged to record the number of minutes they read weekly, are awarded a Reading Paw put on display in the library for each book they read and are eligible to participate in drawing for prizes with every 150 minutes of reading time they record.