Reading Roundup
Milestone!
After a seven-year partnership with Springfield Public Schools, the community Reading Roundup effort met its goal of assuring that every school library has the number of books required to meet the highest standards recognized by the state. On Monday, Sept. 24, Reading Roundup supporters gathered at Central High School to celebrate the milestone and release a helium balloon for each school library in the district.
“More than one thousand people have rallied to the cause with donations ranging from $1 to $100,000,” said Reading Roundup Chairman, David Harrison. “Springfield is an education-minded community. This is the kind of support many school districts wish they had.”
Reading Roundup began in 2001 as a grassroots effort with a goal to add tens of thousands of needed new titles and replace outdated material. Since then, the combined efforts of the district, Reading Roundup volunteers and others have added or replaced more than 190,000 library books costing more than $3.6 million.
However, because research shows a direct link between quality school libraries and student learning, Harrison says Reading Roundup will continue to seek private funding for books that best meet the needs of individual schools, provide the latest and most engaging books for students and serve school communities working to improve their libraries.
Contributions can be made to the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, “Reading Roundup,” at 940 N. Jefferson Ave. Springfield, MO, 65802.