Monday, March 14, 2011
Development of Southside Library Merits Gold Award
Shelley Boyers loves to read. When she learned about the recently opened library in her community of Southside, she decided to focus her Gold Award project on helping it become established and raising public awareness for the library. After meeting with the library’s director, she saw the need for a children’s corner. Shelley began raising money for expenses and recruiting volunteers to put her plan into action. She created an informational handout for the library, made bookmarks, and purchased crafts materials and furniture for the area. Shelley invited Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout troops to help her with a tree-trimming and story-time event for a local day school during Christmas break. To increase public awareness, Shelley organized a book drive and promoted National Library Week in April with posters and flyers. For the books she collected, she made a catalog and labeled shelves in the library. She also organized another event—a “Cat in the Hat” day for a preschool field trip, complete with costumes, crafts and snacks. “Through my project,” says Shelley, “I was able to use my leadership skills to ensure everything ran smoothly, as well as my creative skills when reading to the preschoolers.”