Little Free Libraries for Schenectady Students

The students in the Schenectady City School District were sent home in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many of the students in this impoverished, urban district have still not been able to return to school due to budget cuts and are forces to learn virtually from their homes.  Many of these children are without books and literature in their homes, and many live too far away from a public library (many of which are currently shuttered) to access books.  The longer our students are away from school and from literature, the greater deficits they will face once they return. 

The goal is to create a Little Free Library at each of the district's elementary schools in order to provide students with free, local access to books and literature.  With eleven elementary schools in the district, having a Little Free Library at each school would provide most of the students in the district access to books within walking distance of their homes.  

The students of Schenectady are an underserved population and deserve the same access to education and literacy that students in wealthier districts receive.  Providing access to free books within close to home would give these students a chance to step away from the computer screen and read books of their own choosing, while providing them with much needed literary skills.