HISTORIC TRIANGLE — Williamsburg Regional Library (WRL), the League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area, and Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCC Schools) are teaming up to make it easier than ever for local kids to learn about civics through reading.
The Board of the Williamsburg Area League recently voted to approve a donation of $2,350 to fund the purchase of over 90 ebooks dealing with subjects such as women’s suffrage, voting rights, fighting voter suppression, and civic engagement.
WJCC Schools identified the specific titles that will be purchased with the donation and will promote them to students and teachers who may be interested in reading them for pleasure or using them in the classroom. After consultation with WJCC Schools, the League decided to direct the donation to WRL so that the new ebooks can be incorporated into the larger library collection.
The titles will be available to all WJCC Schools students through the Sora app initiative, a partnership project between the library and the school system that allows learners to browse and borrow from among thousands of age-appropriate titles from home, school, or wherever they happen to be, 24/7.
The added benefit of having WRL purchase and maintain the new collection is that the books will also be available for checkout to the wider community, including kids who attend other school districts or are homeschooled.
Laura Tripp of the League noted their donation is in memory of their immediate past president Mary Schilling, who served from 2016-2020.
“Mary was a very accomplished person and our organization benefited from her leadership,” Tripp said. “We’re happy to provide students throughout the greater Williamsburg area with information on civics and voting education in her honor.”
“The League of Women Voters has helped WJCC register young voters and provided access to civics resources for several years,” said Steve Legawiec, social studies coordinator for WJCC Schools. “This incredibly generous gift goes even farther, enabling students to engage with relevant and meaningful texts that inspire active and equitable civic engagement. We can not thank them enough for their ongoing support.”
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