The Nesmith Library is the recipient of a $1,000 Literacy Initiative Grant from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart's Salem store's Director of Community Involvement, Luanne Nieder-Goodall, Store Manager Rick Case, and District Manager Tim Benard presented the generous monetary gift to Library Trustee Chair Mary Lee Underhill and Library Director John Barrett at an early morning meeting of store employees in October 2002.

Part of the donation will be used to continue the library's partnership with the First Teachers' Project (FTP). Part of the FTP mission is to educate parents about the important role they play in the development of early literacy skills during their child's preschool years. The Nesmith Library offers parents a special collection of resources in the youth services department, and encourages parents to attend programs in areas such as language development and early learning strategies. The library provides literacy kits to promote reading and fun between parents and their children. This fall, Beth Strauss, head of youth services, has organized a Toddlers Story Time.

Funds from the Wal-Mart grant will also be used to add materials to the adult collection for adult new readers and learners of English as a second language. The Rockingham Country Tutorial Program and Literacy Volunteers of America offer local residents the opportunity to help people become literate, the ability to read and write. For more information on how you can help, stop by the library.

-reprinted with permission

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS - From the Nesmith Library, Windham: The N.H. Library Association awarded a $1,000 scholarship to library associate Yi-Ching Chen for graduate study at the Simmons Graduate School of Information and Library Science; Nesmith Library Director John Barrett, was elected President-Elect of the New England Library Association; Library Trustee Rich Koeck and the library director were guests on the WCTV-21's Focus on the Issues, hosted by Darrell Halen. The program will be repeated several times in the coming weeks on the local cable TV station.