Franklin County elementary school could earn library makeover through competition

By: Robert Stover, Fox 43

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — A Franklin County elementary school needs votes to earn a new library.

“I’m putting it on Facebook, we’ve sent emails to all the teachers, all of our students have participated in the vote so we’re just making that final push,” said Jennifer Smith, a librarian at Mowery Elementary School in Quincy Township, Franklin County.

That push is to win the second annual Learning Space Design Competition, presented by KI Furniture.

The annual competition selects 12 finalists across four divisions. Voters choose which classroom deserves a makeover in each division.

Mowery Elementary is one of three finalists in the competition’s new library division and is hoping to write a new chapter as the first library to win the grand prize.

“The library is used for all sorts of things, so to bring it up to the current times, it’ll mean a lot to the community and show them that this is where learning and reading starts,” Smith said.

Smith began designing the library last year. Many of her students participated in the process.

“I went with what they like to do now and where they find themselves in the library most comfortable, and that’s how I went about it,” Smith said.

The makeover would include raised seating as well as rotating cushions for students who like to move around.

Smith would also add new pieces of technology to the library for a more modern learning environment.

“It’s the opportunity to advance the school, the last time we had furniture in our school was 1988,” Smith said.

Public voting ends January 31 with the winner expected to be announced on February 2.

To view the entire selection of finalists, click here.

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