Link to Libraries Connects West Springfield Businesses and Schools

Excitement filled the air on a Thursday afternoon at Memorial Elementary School in West Springfield as Mike Bertera of Bertera Auto Group settled into a chair in front of a giddy classroom of 1st graders. As the students quieted, Bertera began to read the book “Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival” about a blind cat and dog, both with bobbed tails, who leaned on each other during extremely challenging times. The children were hooked.

Bertera Auto Group is Memorial Elementary School’s Community Book Link Sponsor, a program by local non-profit Link to Libraries that connects businesses and community members to elementary schools in support of childhood literacy. When a business or community member adopts a school through Community Book Link, that school’s library receives 200-250 new books each year.

“It is such a great experience to visit and meet with the students and see how much they appreciate the books and enjoy reading,” said Bertera. “Bertera Auto Group is honored to be able to provide books for the library at Memorial School through Link to Libraries.”

Link to Libraries was founded in 2008 out of deep concern for the number of children in the region who struggle in school because of their inability to read proficiently. Through its Community Book Link and Read Aloud programs, Link to Libraries strives to inspire reading by getting more books into the hands of children. To date, Link to Libraries has distributed over 1,000,000 books to underserved youth in the community.

“Learning to read is a child’s best chance for success in school and in life, yet 70% of the children Link to Libraries serves across Western Massachusetts are reading below grade level standards,” stated CEO and President of Link to Libraries Laurie Flynn. “That is why we have made it our mission to support educators by providing books and volunteer readers to help engage young readers.”

Link to Libraries has a unique read aloud program that provides children with free books to build their own at-home libraries. Readers visit classrooms once a month from October through May, and at each visit every student picks out a new free book. Approximately 200 volunteer readers and 70 schools participate in the program.

Chandler Architectural Products of West Springfield has been a part of the Link to Libraries Community Book Link program for several years and recently adopted Fausey Elementary School in West Springfield. The company’s employees volunteer as monthly readers. “I think all of us at Chandler can agree that although we joined to give back, we find that every month we receive so much more back from the program than we could have ever imagined,” stated Kim Mele of Chandler Architectural Products. “And the fact that every child receives a brand-new book when we visit, makes this program a home run for everyone.”

Tania Spear, owner of West Springfield-based Silver Linings Home Care, has been passionate about reading since she was a young girl and contributes her own children’s love of reading to their success as adults. “When the opportunity to become a Community Book Link Sponsor for Coburn School [West Springfield] presented itself to Silver Linings Home Care, I was excited to know that the children of my hometown and the town I raised my children in would benefit,” said Spear.

“Reading with Link to Libraries is perhaps the simplest, yet most rewarding volunteer opportunity I have ever participated in,” added Spear. “It's difficult to express the joy it brings to not only spend time with the students while reading, but to see their faces when they get to pick out and keep their own new book. It makes my day every time.”

To engage young readers of all cultural backgrounds, Link to Libraries makes a concentrated effort to offer a diverse collection of books with titles such as ‘Crown, an Ode to the Fresh Cut’, ‘Eyes That Kiss in the Corners’ and ‘The Proudest Blue’. “West Springfield is a diverse community, and we want the children of West Springfield to recognize themselves in stories,” said Flynn. “We also want to provide children with the opportunity to learn about different cultures, religions and ethnicities.”

Neil Gile is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for West Springfield Public Schools. “We are currently updating our school libraries so students can have access to literature that reflects their cultural background, and through our partnership with Link to Libraries we are able to do attain that goal,” said Gile. “We are so appreciative to be able to provide families with a rich collection of books that students can identify with.”

Back at Memorial Elementary, the story of the Two Bobbies and the magic of reading stayed with the students well past Bertera’s visit. “The first-grade children talked about their enjoyment of the read aloud all day on Friday,” said Principal Donna Calabrese. “Through Mr. Bertera’s partnership with Link to Libraries, our school library has been enriched with books of high interest to our students. When children read and develop a love for books, their world expands, and their academic progress increases. We consider ourselves very fortunate to work with a community member who values a well-appointed school library.”

When businesses and community come together to support childhood literacy, everyone wins.