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Books for Our School Library!

Who We Are

Hi! My name’s Jennie. I’m the school librarian at Chavez Prep, a Title I (low-income) school located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Our school serves over 300 students in 6th-9th grade.



I think I have the best job in the world because I get to share my love of books and reading with kids every day! I’ve been an avid reader ever since a school librarian introduced me to the Nancy Drew series in the second grade, and my goal is to inspire the same love of reading in the students at Prep. Reading for pleasure has been shown to improve critical thinking and language skills, decrease anxiety and stress, and has been linked to improved life outcomes. Bottom line: kids need to read, and the best way to get them excited about reading is to fill the library with amazing books.



The school library at Chavez Prep is small but very busy! Between 70-100 students (about ⅓ of the school population) visit the library to check out a book every day. Our student population is diverse, and it’s important that the library reflects that. We have students who are reading significantly below grade level and students who can read and comprehend college-level texts. Many of our students are new to the country and don’t speak English, so it’s important to have books in other languages as well. My goal is to get every student at Prep excited about reading, and the best way to achieve that goal is to stock the library with a wide variety of high-interest books.

The Problem

This year, due to budget issues beyond the control of our campus, library funding was cut by 70%, or $7,000. I can’t provide books that Prep students want and need without adequate funding. The library’s need for books is critical - I have a long, long list of titles that students have requested that I can’t afford to buy. It’s upsetting when I have to tell my students that the library can’t afford to purchase more books. I try to avoid this whenever possible by purchasing highly requested titles out of my own pocket, but the need is greater than what I can afford as an individual.

The kids at Prep are awesome. They are readers, scholars, critical thinkers, and advocates for social change. They deserve to have a school library full of interesting, high-quality books!


Your Donation


Every cent that is donated will go directly towards purchasing books for the Prep library. Almost all school libraries pay an additional cost in order to purchase books that are pre-cataloged and covered in durable library binding. This can often double or even triple the cost of a book. I’ve always believed in stretching the book budget as far as possible, so I’ve never paid for these conveniences. I purchase books from Amazon (almost always the least expensive source) and perform the cataloging work myself. I also cover every book with packing tape in order to improve durability. Our library books are investments that we want to keep around for many years.


You can check out some of the books we'd like to add to the library by visiting the wish list at Amazon. If you'd like to send a book directly to the school from the wish list, please use the following shipping address:

Attn: Jennie Tomlinson
Chavez Prep
770 Kenyon Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20010

 You don't have to choose a particular book to donate. However, if you’re interested in sponsoring certain books, please make a note of the title in the “Comments” section of the donation page. After I purchase the books from Amazon, I’ll be happy to add a bookplate with your name on the inside cover. Even small donations can make a big difference. There are many books on the list that cost less than $5.00.


At the end of this campaign, I will mail a thank-you note and hand-colored bookmark (created by a Prep scholar!) to every donor. If you would like to receive this small gesture of appreciation, please respond with your mailing address when I send out the final thank-you notifications from GoFundMe.


Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I hope you’ll consider supporting the school library at Chavez Prep. Feel free to contact me through GoFundMe if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Jennie

Organizer

Jennie Tomlinson-Herr
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC

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