Damrosch Library wins prestigious Laura Bush Foundation Grant!!!

See all the winners here:

http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/PressReleaseMay2009.pdf

"I got smart because I read books," says Einstein

Ahh, I could sit in this corner and read all day!

I love it when Ms. Kaplan reads to us!

The computers are my favorite!

Damrosch Library wins a grant!

The Office of Library Services is pleased to offer to NYC DOE middle school libraries, the Eight Million Reasons to Read Grant.

During the middle school years, when students are focused on developing personally, socially and academically, reading is paramount in enabling students to achieve success. Students who develop a love of reading and an ability to read with comprehension are more likely to be engaged in their learning and empowered to meet the academic and personal demands of their future – both in school and in the workplace. To ensure that all middle school students in New York City are prepared for high school, college and careers, the Department of Education has developed the Campaign for Middle School Success.

As a part of that initiative, the Office of Library Services has developed the Eight Million Reasons to Read campaign.
The overall goal of this campaign is to:
· Connect middle school students with real-life reasons to read, as demonstrated every day by the eight million residents of New York City.
· Enable middle school students to build a pathway to their future through exploration of dynamic nonfiction books.
This yearlong campaign will validate the reading experiences of the students and their families, communities, and cultures so that students recognize that reading is a “life skill” that surrounds every area of life and is the key to future success.

Activities at the school level will include:
Book clubs;
Addition of a collection of engaging nonfiction books to the school library;
Collection of “I read because. . .” post cards from family and community;
School-wide reading motivation campaign and assembly;
Family literacy celebration.

Grant recipients will receive:
A collection of engaging, readable young adult non-fiction titles that will be processed for the central library collection;
Three of these titles provided in sets of 10 for book discussion groups;
One-day professional development for the librarian on how to conduct a book club using non-fiction titles and utilize Web 2.0 technology to encourage students to interact with the books and each other.
“I read because…” postcards for family and community to fill out