4 Charleston Co. schools awarded library grants

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Four Charleston County schools were awarded grants through a program that provides funding to schools to improve their library collections, the district said.

Springfield Elementary School, Pepperhill Elementary School, Burke High School and R.B. Stall High School each received a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.

The foundation distributed grants to 300 schools in 44 states with no more than four schools per district receiving grants.

Librarians from Burke High School and Springfield Elementary say the grants will be used to update their collections to better reflect the diverse populations at the schools.

“The general fiction books and non-fiction books purchased will modernize our collection and also reflect the school’s population,” Burke High School Librarian David Matthews said. “We will purchase books that include global views and multiple perspectives. These books will celebrate the diversity of our community.”

R.B. Stall Librarian Elizabeth Tonelli said the grant will help encourage students to read more by making available more materials in the format they prefer, print.

The Laura Bush Foundation has provided over $19.5 million to 3,300 schools over the last 20 years.

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