Mother Teresa getting library book makeover
Mother Teresa School is asking the help of local residents to raise money for new children’s books for its library through the Chapter’s-Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.
Each year the foundation chooses a few select schools across the country for a threeweek period to be the recipient of its “Adopt a School” program, where every dollar donated by the public during those weeks will be matched up to $1,000. Mother Teresa will be the Adopt a School program’s featured recipient school until Oct. 8.
“Our book collection here is really old,” explains librarian John Kozakewich, when asked why being chosen for the Adopt a School program is so important for his library and students. “I have been weeding through a lot of it, taking out hundreds of titles which were copyrighted back in the 1970s or before. We keep the classics and awardwinners, but it’s time for an update. Our collection is really battered and beaten up. So I am so happy to see us chosen for this.”
Kozakewich says his kids love books, and he is pleased they will be receiving so many new titles thanks to the Chapters-Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.
“We were really lucky this year to get adopted,” he says. “People can go into the Chapters-Indigo Coles store in the Medicine Hat Mall or online, purchase their stuff, and also make a donation for books toward us. Chapters will match that money up to $1,000.”
Kozakewich says nothing instills creativity and a lifetime love of learning in kids like reading books at an early age.
“Nothing beats sitting down with a nice book,” he says. “I bring them in and read them stories and show them these beautiful picture books. You can’t do that with an iPad.”
The campaign has so far garnered enough donations to buy 144 books, the school’s hope is to see that number rise to 300 by Oct. 8.