When Kim Imes took over as West Ironton Kindergarten principal this year, she couldn’t help but notice a void at the school.

Saturday, March 03, 2001

When Kim Imes took over as West Ironton Kindergarten principal this year, she couldn’t help but notice a void at the school.

With all of the Ironton City School District’s kindergarten students housed in the building, not one book was on the shelves of the library.

"The only books in this building were purchased by teachers or carried in from libraries around the area," Imes said.

That is about to change, however, as the school is in the process of revamping the library and will stock its shelves with books soon.

Imes said the school has been awarded $4,000 in grant money through the Martha Holden Jennings Fund to purchase new books for the library. Though she is pleased the school secured the grant, she wanted to do more. To some, Imes said, "$4,000 may sound like a great deal of money" for books, but with no books in the library, it will take more to fill the shelves.

To supplement the grant, Imes said a month-long book drive will kick off tomorrow. The school is asking members of the community to donate books to help the school stock its library.

"This is a good way to bring the community together," Imes said of the book drive. "These are not only our children, they are (the community’s) children."

As far as the library’s renovation goes, Imes said the walls have been repainted, the shelves have been cleaned and revarnished and new light fixtures will be installed. As a bonus, Imes said, Isaac Glover, who has a child attending the school, has volunteered his time to paint murals on the walls.

"He is very talented," Imes said of Glover.

The reason Imes said she wanted to bring the school’s library to life was to give the district’s youngest students a push in the right direction.

"The area of reading is one of the most necessary areas to be developed," Imes said. "We want to give them a good, strong kindergarten year and help them enhance their reading skills with the use of books."

Imes said anyone who has books to donate can drop them off at the school or call the school at 533-6045 to make arrangements to have the books picked up.