After months of being off limits, the smiles on Kramer Elementary students’ faces when they saw the school’s renovated library for the first time weren’t all that surprising.
Kramer Elementary revealed the library to parents and students after a PTA meeting held this past Thursday. From two comfortable reading corners to the brightly colored murals covering the walls and nearby lockers, the room received a complete makeover. “It’s inviting even from the hallway,” parent Brandy Treadway says.
Librarian Jennifer Sancedio always hoped to make the space friendly and accessible, she says, but plans did not gain momentum until last May. “I am most excited about being an example of what a 21st-century library is because so often people think libraries aren’t relevant anymore,” she says.
Kramer Elementary updated its library with the help of the Junior League of Dallas and other local organizations.
The Kramer PTA, the Junior League of Dallas, P3 and Half Price Books all contributed to the project, whether it was time, money or books. “It was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and we loved it,” says Chanel Stark, provisional project coordinator with the Junior League, which helped decorate the library. “We had a good time.”
For Sancedio and principal Katherine Eska, remodeling the library is another way to encourage literacy at an early age. “Love for reading is built in elementary schools,” Eska says. “We’re building excitement around updating the space and showing that it’s relevant.”
