(From GoDanRiver.com, by
“At George Washington High School’s student library around 2:30 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, students are busy. Some are looking for books, while others work on research projects on the computers.
Around all of the activity, librarians Haley Walters and Kim Roberson say the activity points to a singular belief: in an age of smartphones and evolving technology, school libraries still matter.
“We have a lot of kids who just enjoy reading,” Walters said.
Walters leveraged that enthusiasm for reading into a grant proposal for the American Association of School Librarians’ Inspire Collection Development Grant, and submitted the grant just before winter break.
Recently, the library organization announced GW was one of six recipients of the grant. The school will receive $3,000 to improve its selection.
“The need for general fiction, graphic novels, and hi/lo books is significant in order to support so many students who are entering the school reading at below grade level,” said grant committee chairman Floyd Pentlin in a news release.
Additionally, Walters said for many students the library is the only place access books — with few chain or local book stores in the area.
(Read the rest of this article here!)