All Mascoutah School District students to receive library cards thanks to grant – Herald Publications

By Zachary Daum
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As part of an initiative to provide a broader array of educational resources for students, Mascoutah School District 19 (MSD19) has partnered with Mascoutah Public Library to ensure that every student who attends the school district, whether they live in the district or not, has access to a library card. This partnership, made possible through the Department of Defense Education Activity’s Literacy in Teaching Grant Program, aims to provide comprehensive library services to all MSD19 students, regardless of where they live.

As of June 27, all students enrolled in MSD19 will be eligible to receive a library card through their school registration process. This initiative extends to students living outside the library’s taxing area or in areas where there is no other public library, ensuring that no child is left without access to the educational resources provided by the Mascoutah Public Library.

“This is a significant step forward for our community,” said Mascoutah Public Library Librarian Joel Pikora. “We learned about this opportunity through Glen Carbon and Edwardsville Library’s agreement with District 7. Given our district’s size and small taxing area, this partnership is essential to helping our students.”

Students will have access to a wide range of books, e-books and other educational resources, providing a significant range of resources. They can use the library facilities and equipment and participate in various library programs and events. By integrating library card registration into the school enrollment process, MSD19 and the Mascoutah Public Library aim to remove barriers to accessing these resources, promoting a culture of reading and learning from the very beginning of a student’s educational journey.

Mascoutah School District Superintendent Dr. Dave Deets also spoke on the subject, praising the Mascoutah Public Library for spearheading the program. “When the library approached us about it, of course I said yes because it’s a great idea for all of our children, staff and teachers to have access to the Mascoutah Public Library. We have a lot of children who don’t live in Mascoutah itself and I would like them to have access to the library. The library has always been a great partner to the Mascoutah School District and we’re happy to work with them to make that happen.”

Librarian Ivy Cowen emphasized the collaborative effort behind the initiative. “We initially approached the school while planning our summer reading program and STEM camp. During our discussions, the idea of ​​providing library cards to all students came up and quickly became a priority.”

Pikora added, “With the help of the literacy camp and the support of the DoDEA grant, the school was eager to explore further collaboration with the library. The first thing we agreed on was providing students with library cards. This is a game changer, especially for students in military areas like Scott Elementary School who often do not have access to such resources.”

Importantly, there are no additional fees for these library cards, thanks to support from the DoDEA Literacy in Teaching Scholarship Program. If parents would prefer not to have a library card for their child, they can opt out. However, by default, each student will receive a card based on their student ID number, and physical cards are planned to be issued soon.

“We are thrilled to launch this program,” Pikora said. “The school district’s support has been incredible, and everyone is excited about the potential impact. Our goal is to remove barriers to access, allowing all students to benefit from what the library has to offer.”