Where do old books go when new ones come in? On Sept. 20, custodial staff members Roberta Weiss and Rachel Smrzlick spoke to a member of the FHS Press and brought attention to the old books that were all being thrown away at the Freedom Elementary School, when they could have donated to the less fortunate instead.

The custodial staff showed concern because of the amount of books being thrown away that are in good condition.

Looking into this, Mrs. Tara Little, the elementary school librarian, said “I go through the books and throw away the severely broken books but I never throw away books. We give them to women’s shelters, and teachers come in and take the books that are going to be given away to put in their own little library in their classrooms.”

After the elementary schools were combined into one, there were too many copies of the same book for just one library. After a year, there are still boxes of books to go through. Although the new library is bigger than the previous one, there is still limited space.

Not needing so many books, Little will keep two copies in case of damage or if another student would wants the same book. The other copies will go to various classrooms for their own personal libraries for students or teachers to read. The class library gives students a chance to check out books.

In the library, there is a variety of books for every level and liking of an elementary student ranging from nonfiction to fiction. This lets the students find a book or genre that they enjoy reading for the future, and it can also advance students’ ability to read and their vocabulary at a younger age. There is now a larger amount of nonfiction books for the students than the previous library had due to lack of interest. Reading is a big part of the learning structure in elementary school, so having a great variety of book is very beneficial for the students the student’s exposure to these writing styles gives them an education outside of the classroom. The space that the library provides is an amazing learning environment for children. Even with the limited space, there is still a great deal of books for all different kinds of children to enjoy.

After a year, the elementary school library still has limited space, but it’s helping students gain the love of learning. Giving books to women’s shelters and letting custodians take these books home spreads the joy of a good child’s story. The library is spreading the love of reading outside of the school district, giving to the community and not wasting good books.