Brotherly Love: Volunteers Resurrect School Library
By Ukee Washington
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia public schools have struggled to keep their libraries open, so a team of former educators and volunteers stepped up to get the books back in the hands of children. The volunteers not only opened the library, they teach the children almost every day. We caught up with them in Germantown.
Bernice Sherman is a gentle traffic cop, guiding 5- and 6-year-olds to story time at John B. Kelly Elementary School.
"Anybody know what a pigsty is? What is a pigsty?" asked John Colgan-Davis, a retired educator and musician went to Philadelphia public schools back when libraries were standard.
"That opened the world up to me," John said. "I was able to go places, do things, find out things that i wouldn't have had had i not had the experience of reading."
Kelly Elementary had not had a librarian for two years. When retired principal Peggy Colgan-Davis found out, she and other volunteers offered to get it back up and running.
"It sort of had become a dumping ground," Peggy said. "There were boxes all around and a lot of dusty books."
But lots of those books were great for kids, and in good condition. The volunteers got rid of outdated books, cleaned up the good ones, and got them laminated free thanks to a friendly Staples manager. They added signs to the shelves and posted colorful artwork on the walls.
Christopher Byrd, principal of John B. Kelly School, said, "They did such a great job in organizing books in various genres, grade levels, interests."
And the volunteers stuck around. Every weekday, they hold library classes.
"They come for a read-aloud, and when the read-aloud is finished, they get to choose a book for the next week," explained Bernice Sherman, a former teacher and now a volunteer.
"My book is all about sharks," 5-year-old Nahzir showed us.
John said, "Watching the excitement of kids as they encounter books and as they hear stories, it's a phenomenal thing to see and be a part of."
The volunteers hope to inspire more volunteer-run school libraries to get books back where they belong.
If you're interested in getting in touch with the team behind the Kelly School Library, email them:
Bernice Sherman abclady@comcast.net
Penny Colgan-Davis at: pcolgan.davis@gmail.com
