West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), a nonprofit that helps to renovate and set up school libraries, and the Hamilton Family Foundation

Morton McMichael School library re-opens after two decades

by thenotebook on Oct 12 2012 Posted in Latest news

Photo: Harvey Finkle

A volunteer from West Philadelphia Alliance for Children reads to Morton McMichael School students during the library's re-opening.

 

By Kofi Biney

For 25 years, Morton McMichael School has operated without a library, not unlike many schools throughout Philadelphia. But today students at the West Philadelphia school celebrated the library's re-opening.

Getting the school library up and running again was made possible by the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), a nonprofit that helps to renovate and set up school libraries, and the Hamilton Family Foundation, which provided WePAC a substantial grant to do the work.

McMichael is the 16th public elementary school library in the city to be opened by WePAC since 2009, and the 12th one it will be running this year.

"It is absolutely critical at this stage, given what's happening with the School District, that private funders are able to support public schools," said WePAC executive director David S. Florig.

"We provide our library services to the schools at no cost to the schools and the School District."

Volunteers and staff worked throughout the summer to clean and outfit the library. Though the library does not have a dedicated librarian, WePAC volunteers will staff the library two days a week, reading stories to students and conducting various activities with classes.

 

http://thenotebook.org/blog/125239/morton-mcmichael-school-library-re-opens-after-two-decades