Horace Mann starts library book pickup
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Cara Shell hands books to the Kuhlemeyer family last week during the Horace Mann library book pick up. The laboratory school has begun letting students reserve books to be picked up on Thursdays each week.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — Even a mid-April snow couldn’t stop Horace Mann Laboratory School from helping its students learn amid the COVID-19 health crisis as volunteers cleaned and packaged books for parents to pick up.
Two weeks ago, Mary Shields, Horace Mann librarian, adjunct instructor and resource teacher, working with nurse Cara Shell began handing out library books to students.
From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, parents of Horace Mann students can line up in the circle drive and have books they reserved online brought to their vehicle. This continues with the social distancing practice while all schools in Missouri are closed due to the pandemic, but also will allow students to continue reading.
Before starting the program, Shields and Shell discussed how to handle the program with staff members at the B.D. Owens Library and came up with a plan for cleaning the books before they’re handed out and after they’re returned.
“I have two student employees who have been going through and wiping down each book and each book shelf,” Shields said.
Each book is wiped down and only handled with gloves while it is packaged in paper and handed to the family.
As for returned books, Shields said staff at the B.D. Owens Library recommended letting the books sit for 72 hours.
“We’ll just put them in the basket and then it goes into the book drop and sits there for the week,” she said.
The number of families involved has increased in the two weeks and Shields said she’s seen different families the second week and book requests for even more children.
“We had a couple of families that we didn’t have last week,” she said.
Picking up books for his children, Tim Wall, Northwest School of Education dean and director of teacher education, told The Forum his children were ready for them.
“I really appreciate that this is open for the community,” he said.
To order books — up to five per student — parents should log in to their Seesaw account or checkout the newsletter for more information.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Tim Wall, Northwest School of Education dean, accepts books for his children from Mary Shields, Horace Mann librarian, who started the program. Interested parents may contact the library online to reserve books.
