Unicorn Library Keeps Quad-Cities Kids Reading During Pandemic
Across the country, the destinies of many of America’s school libraries are on hold. They have been closed during the pandemic and it is not known when they will be able to reopen. But, two Davenport Community School District educators are dedicated to making sure that area kids still have quality books to read.
Shari Larsen, principal at Wilson Elementary School in Davenport, IA, and Amber Cravens, teacher of English Language Learners, developed a project that is putting books in the hands of children who are eager to read. That project, the Unicorn Library, became available to all students at Wilson Elementary in late January.
“A student can simply select a book, take it home and read it,” Cravens said. “They are free to keep the book, if they like. If they decide to return it, the book is sanitized, put in quarantine for 72 hours, and then returned to the books available for free check-out. Books are donated to the Unicorn Library, and anyone can donate, if they like.”
Cravens has a large personal library, so she started the project by allowing kids to pick books from that selection. Students from kindergarten to sixth grade can take books home, keep them, share them, or return them. If they do return them, they are quarantined and sanitized.
Cravens put out the word on social media about the project, and she has been receiving generous donations of books from the community. Most of them are elementary-appropriate books, but she doesn’t turn away any donations. For example, she has given donated books for adult readers to staff and community members.
So far, Cravens has distributed about 500 books through the Unicorn Library. Cravens founded the library, and Larsen and the Wilson Elementary staff work as a team with her and give the project their full support. “I am so proud of Amber for all the work she has put into this project,” Larsen said. “She has really been thinking outside the box.”
“If a teacher or a student has a need or want for a specific book, I keep an eye out for it,” Cravens said. “If a kid likes Curious George books, I’ll keep that in mind as I’m looking through donations.”
Larsen added that parents of the school’s kids are enjoying the Unicorn Library. “Some have brought us their old books to distribute,” she said. “The Unicorn Library helps us to level the playing field in student access to books. Everybody has access to it, and kids get so excited when they see the books that are available. We never tell a child that a book is not on their level. We hate to say ‘no’ to kids, and now we don’t have to. So often, we don’t realize the great impact that books can have.”
The greatest aspect of the Unicorn Library, Larsen noted, is the simplicity of the concept. “No investment was needed to start the project,” she said. “All it required was the kindness and generosity of others.”
Wilson Elementary School is located at 2002 N. Clark Street, Davenport, IA. To find out more about the school, call (563) 723-6950 or visit http://www.davenportschools.org/wilson/.
To learn more about the Davenport Community School District, please visit http://www.davenportschools.org/.
