During a time of constant change, it's no surprise that the Nokomis Library has been going through its own changes. With the limited amount of traffic this year, it is an opportune time to begin working on much needed updates. The library is being re-envisioned because we found that the library consisted of books that were very old and had almost no use. As a matter of fact, some books that were found were from 1936!
Books that are 10 years old or older and haven’t been checked out in years have been deleted from the system and removed from the shelves. They were deleted and are set for preparation to send off to two companies: Ziffit and Better World Books. Ziffit is a website that allows you to sell your books for cash. It’s known as a “landfill’s worst enemy” because you’re avoiding throwing books away. Instead the books are recycled, which is really beneficial for the environment. Better World Books is a service that will accept the books the library has donated. Our books will be shipped to them so that they can sell them. For every book that is donated, they will donate a book to someone in need. Both of these companies cover the shipping, so none of this is a cost to the school.
When you step inside the library, you'll notice some changes. Shelves located in the middle of the library have been cleared, and books that weren’t deleted from the shelves have been relocated to other shelves within the library. New books will be brought in to replace the old ones. The new books will be relevant and up to date.
Approximately 3-4 thousand books have been deleted from the shelves just at Nokomis. Eventually, this will involve the elementary schools. Books are currently no longer being deleted, as the process just finished up last week. Boxes have arrived to ship the books out, it is now just a matter of packaging them and getting them shipped. The empty shelving was brought to Somerset for them to use. With the shelving removed, the new furniture has been brought into the Nokomis Library, including couches and cafe style stools.
Ms. Elwell has big plans for the library in the future. This is what she said: “In the upcoming months, the library staff will continue to reconfigure the library along with providing new books, resources, and opportunities for students to take an active role in the library community. Be on the lookout for new ways to become engaged in your library, including the development of a new Teen Advisory Board (TAB). Stop by the library today and let us know how we can serve you better in the upcoming year!”
Please feel free to check out the new updates for yourself! Go Warriors!
