WASHBURN, Maine — In what has been an ongoing process over the past three years, but a new area in the Washburn Memorial Library is finally taking shape thanks to a $10,000 grant and a group of teens who have been willing to help with the heavy lifting.
The grant was from the King Foundation, titled “Time for Tots,” and the funds enabled the library to add to its children’s picture book collection.
On a recent afternoon, several teens worked to organize the young readers’ space, placing books on shelves built by a local company.
“This fantastic group of kids moved all of our picture books downstairs and put them on our new shelving. They also moved and resituated many books in our older collection and book store area,” said Londa Brown of the library’s board of directors.
Members of the Washburn District High School woodworking club, led by instructor Don Hanson, are in the process of constructing a Lego table for the room.
Teens who pitched in included Raegyn Chavez, Aidan Churchill, Parker Corey, Kyli Farley, Charlie Hobbs and Benjamin Turner, along with Emerson Turner, who Brown said has been instrumental in the library project.
“She, along with her brother Ben and other friends who rotated through, helped me with the huge task of weeding the library and literally moving every book in the place. She is now a senior and if you were to ask around the town, she is always volunteering to help others,” Brown said.
Brown said library staff are looking forward to having families visit the library. A special opening is planned at a later date for the younger children.
