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The goal of the children’s wing is to keep all children reading during summer and holiday breaks, hopefully creating a higher rate of retention in literacy for rural children. During the weeks when schools are out of session, many children do not have access to a variety of age-appropriate reading materials. For many areas, a public library solves this problem. Unfortunately, access to a public library is a luxury some children do not have. Families who do not live in Canton’s city limits have to pay an annual fee to use the Canton Public Library, around $50. This amount can be a burden for some families. The Culver-Stockton library does not charge a fee to check out books. “Until the time a student leaves third grade, 85 percent of instruction is learning to read. At the time a student enters fourth grade and beyond, 85 percent of learning is achieved by reading,” said Terry Sherer, associate professor of education. “Students with the strongest reading habits find school to be easier than students that fail to sufficiently practice their reading skills.” One of the important changes that made this possible was the shift from paper books to e-books. Culver-Stockton’s library currently has about 125,000 paper books and 90,000+ e-books in its collection, not including the 33,000 full-text periodical titles online. “About a year ago, we went through the library and weeded out paper items that we also had electronically. We eliminated enough stuff that we found ourselves with extra space to use. It seemed natural to put a children’s wing in the newly created space,” says Sharon Upchurch, head librarian. The room was part of a series of renovations to the Culver-Stockton library, funded by the comprehensive campaign, A Vision for the Future. Other renovations include new carpeting and paint, as well as the addition of a science-themed coffee shop, The Lab. OTHER FEATURED ARTICLES
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