When your club chooses a literacy project for this Rotary year, consider District 6440's Adopt a School Library. This district wide project, selected by the Literacy Committee and supported by District Governor Mike Ericksen, comes from legislation introduced by Senator Dick Durbin that designates September, 2007, as "Adopt a School Library Month" to help fund school libraries around the state and across the nation.

Finding a school library to "adopt" is easy. Talk to the school district superintendent or principal of your Rotary Club; educators and librarians are in many of District 6440 clubs. Ask him or her about school libraries in the school district or in nearby districts that need funds for books and other school library needs.

Once you have found a school library to adopt, talk with staff at the school about their needs and how your club can help. Talk with your club members about what they would like to do for the school library. If the school library needs new books, the librarian may have a list of titles and you can donate either the funds to purchase the books or you may want to buy the books and donate them. Work with local educators to come up with a project that meets the needs of your club and the school you adopt.

If your club would rather donate time, talk about volunteers that can work with the school librarian or a teacher to start a "read with me" program: volunteers of all ages spend time reading with kids to develop literacy skills.

It's a guarantee you will find a need in your local school library or a neighboring one. And you will fill a need for your Rotary Club--a rewarding, useful, easy-to-do literacy project for the 2007/2008 Rotary year and beyond! As District Governor Mike Ericksen said, "It's great to support local schools in any way we can."