3 School Libraries Get a Boost ; Program Awards Cash, Hundreds of Books

By Jay Rey

Finally, some good news for libraries.

Amid county library closings and librarian layoffs in Buffalo schools, three area schools on Thursday were awarded $5,000 and hundreds of new books to help boost their library services.

Campus West in Buffalo, Truman Elementary School in Lackawanna and Autistic Services in Williamsville received the grant through the “Libraries for Kids” program, sponsored by Quebecor World Buffalo, The Buffalo News and Project FLIGHT.

Thirty-two area schools submitted grant applications. Three were chosen based on literacy initiatives under way. The recipients were announced Thursday morning at Campus West school, on the Buffalo State College campus.

“These 32 applicants inspired us because these schools have so much to overcome and so many obstacles,” said Robert Scheifflee, vice president and general manager for Quebecor.

Campus West, a prekindergarten to eighth-grade school, will use the money to buy boy-friendly titles. Current studies have shown that boys are at greater risk than girls when it comes to illiteracy and learning disabilities, school officials said.

Budget cuts forced Truman Elementary’s library to close several years ago. Teacher Darlene Thompson led efforts to reopen it three years ago, and the school has been slowly filling its bookshelves again.

“When they closed it, we were devastated because the kids really missed it,” said Thompson, the computer teacher and librarian at the pre-K to second-grade school. “This [grant] means a great deal.”

Autistic Services serves about 40 children but doesn’t have a library. The money will be used to start one, with the purchase of materials, bookshelves, tables and chairs.

“We started out by going to garage sales, begging parents, whatever we could do to get books into our school,” said Sandra Klimas, the school’s education director.

Besides the $5,000, each school received several hundred books.

“Libraries for Kids” is an extension of the successful “Books for Kids” program, which has provided more than 1.2 million books to needy children since 1995.

“Our main focus is literacy and children,” said Warren T. Colville, president of The Buffalo News. “We have a soft spot in our hearts for anything that has to do with either of those issues.”

e-mail: jrey@buffnews.com