First lady Laura Bush announced grants for more than 250 schools across the country at a school in Manhattan Wednesday.Accompanied by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, the former school librarian made the announcement at P.S. 188 on the Lower East Side.
P.S. 188 received a grant in 2005 and another one Wednesday.
The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries is awarding 263 schools nationwide $1.3 million – about $5,000 per school – to help the schools' libraries update their book collections.
Twenty-four of the schools are in the city.
"The more books children have in their homes, the better they perform in school,” said Mrs. Bush. “But of course we know that many children don't have books in their homes, which makes it even more important for them to have access to a well-stocked school library."
The foundation's grants come from donations from other foundations, companies, and individuals.
Since 2002, the foundation has given out more than $4.3 million in grants – about $500,000 in grants have gone to schools in the five boroughs.
"We're going to get books on all kinds of technology subjects and biographies," said Lou Lahana, the librarian at P.S. 188.
Meanwhile, as schools get new grant money to fill their book shelves, there's a push in the City Council to keep public library doors open longer in the city.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn has proposed adding more than $40 million over the next three years into the city's budget so all public libraries can be open at least six days a week. During the budget cuts post 9/11, the mayor cut funding for libraries.
At a press conference later Wednesday, Bloomberg said it may be too expensive to expand the public library service.
"It's always an issue how you pay for it,” said the mayor. “It would be good if libraries are open all the time, but that's not realistic."
There's about a month left in negotiations between the City Council and the mayor before the new budget takes affect, and extended library hours will either be on the books – or a work of fiction.
-Molly Kroon
