With four weeks to go (already?) until the new school year, the Seattle Public Library has announced that two elementary schools in West Seattle will get an extra literacy boost via a new partnership:

Students at Seattle’s Sanislo and Roxhill elementary schools will benefit from expanded literacy programs and library resources this school year, thanks to a partnership with The Seattle Public Library.

The one-year pilot project is funded by a $91,000 grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Through the grant, titled, “Sharing Our Stories: A School and Public Library Partnership Project,” The Seattle Public Library will:

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*Loan books and materials to Sanislo and Roxhill elementary schools that support the Common Core State Standards and serve the needs of emergent, or aspiring readers.

*Provide special Library cards to Sanislo and Roxhill elementary school teachers and librarians. These institutional Library cards will make it easier for them to check out materials for their students from The Seattle Public Library.

*Introduce “Raising a Reader” at the Roxhill Elementary Head Start program, as well as the kindergarten programs at Roxhill and Sanislo elementary schools.The program provides children with colorful bags filled with award-winning books to take home on a weekly basis. Parents and caregivers also are trained in interactive read-aloud strategies. The program encourages healthy brain development, parent-child bonding, early literacy skills and local public library use.

*Expand the permanent library collections at Roxhill and Sanislo elementary schools.

*Add books and materials to the permanent collections at the Roxhill and Sanislo elementary schools as a reward for students who sign up for the Library’s Summer Reading Program and read at least five books.

“Through this pilot, we hope students will feel equally comfortable getting the resources and librarian assistance they need, whether they are using their school library, or the public library,” said City Librarian Marcellus Turner.

“We hope to create a more seamless connection between the schools and the public library,” said Craig Seasholes, Sanislo Elementary School librarian. “We are excited to have this opportunity to develop a strong partnership between and the public and school librarians.”