After several months of work from a dedicated team of parent volunteers, Tucson Hebrew Academy’s (THA’s) newly renovated Sebold Library was unveiled during Love of Reading week. The ceremony involved a visit from the Library Fairies, who taught the students about properly caring for books before bestowing upon them their very own library cards.
The Sebold Library continued as a central part of the celebrations during the remainder of the week. Children gathered to make bookmarks, learned how to hydro-dip hot cocoa mugs for the library, and dressed up as their favorite book characters!
The vision for an updated library space began last year. Ms. Lionheart, one of THA’s Humanities Teachers, along with several parent volunteers, began combing through stacks of books that had accumulated while the school had been closed due to COVID. Many had been donated to THA without being catalogued or shelved, while many more were outdated, duplicates, or deemed inappropriate for a K-8 audience.
Next, books were organized by reading level and genre, following the lead of modern libraries by doing away with the Dewey Decimal System in favor of a system that encourages reader independence.
Finally, the space itself received a refreshing facelift—a bright coat of paint, playful new furniture, a cozy woodland-themed reading nook, and beautiful plants that are tended to by THA’s Green Team. Plans are also in place to put in a magnetic poetry wall, an internet café sitting area, and a Green Room for THA’s News Team and Film Club.
The grand re-opening of the Sebold Library has been a group effort, and THA is so grateful for the work, expertise, and donations that poured in from CAT (the Community Action Team) and the Jewish community at-large. In this day and age, fostering a love of reading is vitally important, and THA is thrilled to provide a magical, inviting space like the Sebold Library for the next generation to discover the wonder of the written word.
