Library garners trove of children's books

By Linda Bell
Correspondent

A "Books for Children" grant from the Libri Foundation to the Red Feather Lakes Library recently added 66 new, mostly award-winning books to the children's section.

Ranging from board books for toddlers to youth fiction and nonfiction, the new books help round out the library's collection, said Karen Deane, children's library director. Deane got to pick from a list of 705 books after the grant was awarded.

Deane said it was like Christmas had come early when the boxes of books arrived. "It was such fun looking through each one - they are all wonderful," she said. Deane especially likes the vivid illustrations and primary colors of "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" which she looks forward to reading to the preschoolers at story hour.

Another of Deane's favorites is "Good Brother, Bad Brother" about Edwin and John Wilkes Booth. "I plan to read it myself," she said, "as well as some other of the crossover books which are of interest to adults as well as youths."

The Libri Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Oregon that donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small rural public libraries throughout the United States. The Foundation supports the concept that children who learn to enjoy reading at an early age continue to read throughout their lives.

A Libri Foundation grant requires some local financial support for a 2-to-1 matching ratio. Deane said the Friends of the Red Feather Lakes Library supported the grant request with $350, enabling the library to receive $1,050 worth of books from its successful application.

Each of the donated books has a special bookplate recognizing the Friends of the Library and the Libri Foundation and will be flagged by a yellow strip on the spine. Deane said the books will be arranged in a special display from the beginning of January.

The library received the same grant in 2001, also supported by the Friends of the Library, which added 65 new children's books to the collection.