A Noonan Elementary School librarian in Alice will be spending her summer building a digital library for students thanks to a grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries.
Librarian Pamela Gonzales received $5,000 to purchase e-books that will allow students to access reading materials even when school is not in session.
"Now it's really hard to get children to actually open books and read. So you have to reach them where they're at," Gonzales said.
The grant comes at a perfect time for students like first-grader Hannah Ibarra, who expressed sadness about not being able to visit the campus library during summer break.
"I feel kinda sad because I really like the library where there's tons of books," Ibarra said.
Ibarra understands the importance of reading, even at her young age.
"Books are important and you can start learning stuff from the books like informational books and other humor books," Ibarra said.
Gonzales, who has been the certified librarian at Noonan Elementary for five years, has focused on growing the library's collection to match student interests. She saw the grant as an opportunity to expand digital access.
"We're one of 220 schools in about 37 states that would receive it this year," Gonzales said. "I knew that we really needed more e-books. And teachers have asked me for that. And I thought this would be a great opportunity to apply and - hopefully - improve in that way."
She said they currently have about 18,000 books in the library's circulation, but only about 150 e-books which need to be updated.
Second-grader Cianna Zamora is excited about the expanded reading opportunities.
"I feel happy because we could read more books," Zamora said.
The aspiring teacher also recognizes the academic benefits of continued reading.
"If you read more books, online or just like regular books that you have at home, you could learn more words and next year you could be able to pass the Starr test," Zamora said.
Gonzales believes it's her responsibility to ensure students have access to learning materials from anywhere, making this e-book initiative a valuable asset for the school community.
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