Book drive yields volumes for Brookings
Date: 2/28/2012
Feb. 27, 2012By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comSPRINGFIELD — Sarah Burrington saw a need and led an effort to fill it with the help of the students of Springfield College.
Burrington, a Springfield College AmeriCorps member and Springfield School Volunteers Read Aloud participant, led a book drive that resulted in the purchase of 339 Scholastic books for the library of the Elias Brookings Museum Magnet School, the donation of another 150 used books and a credit of more than $1,500 to buy more new books from Scholastic.
Brookings is within walking distance from the Springfield College campus and is one of the two public schools that were damaged by the June 1, 2011 tornado. She explained she has been working with the America Reads program.
Burrington led a procession of Springfield College students who delivered the books on Feb. 23 into the school's small library. Brookings is in a temporary building until plans for are formalized to either repair the original building or construct a new permanent school.
School Librarian Marilyn Anntonucci said she had requested picture books for the youngest students — as well as fiction for older students.
She added the donation "means that children will have more books to read and make the library more fun." Brookings serves pre-school students through the fifth grade.
The books certainly seemed popular with a group of third-graders who were on-hand for the delivery.
Burrington said the Springfield College Graduate Student Organization is also planning to make an additional donation to the library.
