ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- In 2012 when English teacher Maggie Schuh joined the faculty at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, she wanted to know where her classroom was and where the library was.
Schuh was told the high school didn’t have a library and to her that was just wrong.
“Especially to an English teacher, it was a little alarming,” said Schuh. “I think when a kid can find themselves or their own story in a book and be validated in that way, it changes the way you look at every book. It’s suddenly not something I need to do or have to do and it becomes something I enjoy doing and love doing.”
Fast forward to 2017 and Classroom 201 is becoming popular with students who like to read. Although there’s no library sign, there is a library.
It took a village.
Teachers donated books, friends donated books, and there was the Facebook factor when she shared her story on social media.
“It got shared dozens of times and people started contacting me, strangers I had never even heard of. ‘How can I drop off books, can I bring a box?’” said Schuh.
Students like Ja’Mon Bobo has been checking out books since October 23 when the library opened.
“This library has Harry Potter books and Hunger Games and so many other books that I can read, delve myself into another dimension,” said Bobo. “It’s an escape from what’s actually going on in reality.”
Leah Williams was also there for the library opening.
“I was actually very excited. I was like ‘what book am I going to read first?’, and it’s a lot of new books I haven’t seen,” said Williams.
Two months after the library ribbon cutting there are 1500 books and counting, with hundreds more on the way thanks to Left Bank Books.
Left Bank’s annual Angel Tree Book Donation Drive is supporting Central Visual and Performing Arts High School this year. Customers can purchase a book on behalf of the high school in person or online said Sarah Holt, the children’s and teen specialist at Left Bank Books.
“Our customers are able to select a book from the store to add to their purchase and that book goes to benefit a child or a school in one of our local school districts,” said Holt. “We’ve had an amazing response so far.”
For more information about the book drive, contact www.left-bank.com or contact Maggie Schuh at Margaret.schuh@slps.org.
