School libraries stay open after hours

A grant from the U.S. Department of Education will enable elementary school libraries in Bedford County to remain open from 3-6 p.m. two days a week, giving children and their parents or other family members a place to read, use computers, and do research.

"We're really excited about it," said school system technology coordinator Joan Gray.

According to Gray, the two days of operation will be different at each school, so that there are options on every weekday. Families can use any school which is open on a given day, whether or not it's the school their child attends. The program includes all five elementary schools within Shelbyville (Deery Eakin, East Side, Learning Way, Southside and Thomas) as well as the three rural elementary schools (Cascade, Community and Liberty). Contact any individual school to find out its schedule. The program is intended for adults accompanying children, although the adult need not be a parent but could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other relative or guardian.

Gray said that the school system's program, especially as it involves access to computers, will help relieve increasing demands on Argie Cooper Public Library, which is still hoping to eventually build a new facility in Shelbyville.

The literacy grant totals $422,000, and the libraries' evening hours are only one aspect of it. It's also being used to purchase $200,000 in new books, and to purchase equipment. The grant funds help to pay for someone to staff the libraries to keep them open for public use.

The evening hours are effective immediately, although Gray said the program will begin in earnest with the spring semester. The evening hours will continue until mid-June of 2010, said Gray. Because the program is grant-funded, there's no guarantee it will be available beyond the current school year.