During the cold winter months, the students, faculty, and staff at the Brighton, Michigan campus of Ross Medical Education Center like to curl up with a good book. However, not everyone has books at home to enjoy. So, throughout the month of January, the campus collected gently used books for the Friends of the Brighton Area District Library.
The Friends of the Brighton Area District Library is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to actively work to strengthen and support the Brighton Area District Library. According to their website, funds from their memberships, book sales, special events, and donations go toward much needed programming, equipment, and services at the local library. The Friends use many of the donated children’s books as prizes for the Library’s Summer Reading Program. The proceeds from book sales go to support the purchase of new items for the Library.
In the past several years, the library has funded many items to improve services to their patrons of all ages. The Friends have funded laptops, the Holiday Open House, online language materials, and Books for Babies Kits. The group has also purchased licenses to show films to the public and hosted a Writer’s Workshop for teens as well as adults.
Office Assistant Jill Letourneau is one of the most avid readers at the campus, and she donated many books to the cause. Financial Aid Student Services Representative Lynette Arpi and Career Services Student Support Representatives Cathy Reilly and Wendy Clise are also avid readers, and they are always sharing books at the campus. Stacey Taylor, a morning student in the Medical Assistant program thinks it is important to support the library because “reading is fun!” Kimberly Niemann, another morning Medical Assistant student said that libraries are “important for every child to help them learn to read.”
By the end of their book drive, the Ross students, faculty, and staff had collected nearly 100 books ranging from Mother Goose to James Patterson! The book drive has ignited an excitement for reading at the campus with many staff members and students sharing books. In fact, Campus Director Susan Mall is using a table in her office as “book share” station where staff and faculty members can take a book and leave one to share with others.