Abby Johnson and Abigail Delloso of Lakeland, both 11, shelved their free-time to earn community service hours at the Lakeland Senior Center.
The two rising sixth-graders cleaned up and alphabetized more than 200 books by the author’s last name in the center’s library area on July 20. They pulled out any duplicate book titles and placed them to the side until they can find a home, possibly to a local book store or nonprofit organization like Friends of the Bartlett Library.
“The upcoming 6th graders did a great job,” said Kim Odom, Lakeland Senior Center manager. “Regular participants of the senior center’s library will be pleased to find books more easily.”
The small library at LSC is filled with hundreds of donated books that provide seniors a convenient way to check out and return books. The library is run on a faith-based system. The readers are each free to take a book of their choice and return it when they are done. There’s no due date set, so they can take their time finishing a book.
“The faith-based plan works well,” Odom said. “Typically, when one book is returned, two or three are donated by the same person returning them. We have an area where guests can sit down and enjoy reading while they’re here.”
She continued, “Now they will enjoy the library even more, now that it’s neatly organized. Thanks to two special young ladies, willing to spend their time giving back to the community.”
Connie Hess, a regular at the senior center, noticed right away that the area had been cleaned up. Hess is responsible for many of the books donated to the library. “It looks so nice,” said Hess. “That was a very honorable thing to do for us.”
Darlene McDonald was first to check out a book from the newly organized book shelves. She came in five minutes after the girls left the senior center. She easily picked out a book, had a seat and enjoyed a good read.
