Two Lakeland students who recently completed fifth grade at Lakeland Elementary School (LES), spent hours today (7.20.17) organizing the Lakeland Senior Center (LSC) library.
Abby Johnson and Abigail Delloso, both 11 years-old, earned community service hours by cleaning the LSC library area and alphabetizing more than 200 books. Abby and her family are moving from Lakeland because of a job transfer. Abigail will be in sixth grade at Lakeland Middle Preparatory School.
The rising sixth-graders removed books from the shelves and filed them alphabetically by author’s name, said Kim Odom, LSC manager.
“They pulled out any duplicate book titles and placed them to the side until they can find home, possibly to a local book store or nonprofit organization like Friends of the Bartlett Library,’ said Mrs. Odom.
“They did a great job,” said Mrs. Odom. “Regular participants of the senior center’s library will be pleased to find books more easily.”
The small library at LSC is filled with hundreds of donated books that provide seniors a convenient way to check out and return books. The library is run on a faith-based system.
“The reader is free to take a book of his or her choice and return it when done,” said Mrs. Odom. “There’s no due date set, so they can take their time finishing a book.
“The faith-based plan works well. Typically, when one book is returned, two or three are donated by the same person returning them,” said Mrs. Odom. “We have an area where guests can sit down and enjoy reading while they’re here.
“Now they will enjoy the library even more since it is neatly organized,” added Mrs. Odom. “Thanks to two special young ladies, willing to spend their time giving back to the community.”
Connie Hess, a regular at the senior center, noticed right away that the area had been cleaned up. Mrs. Hess is responsible for many of the books donated to the library. “It looks so nice,” said Mrs. Hess. “That was a very honorable thing to do for us.”
Darlene McDonald was first to check out a book from the newly organized book shelves. She came in five minutes after the girls left the Center. She easily picked out a book, had a seat and enjoyed a good read.
… Photos courtesy of Kim Odom.
