Millvale Children's Library

by Taylor, age 17

(Click photos to enlarge)

Community Issue
Social Impact
Plan for Change
Innovation
Sustainability

Community Issue

The issue that we are presenting is that Millvale has never had a library, and building one has long been supported by residents of all ages. Some people think negatively of Millvale but we think otherwise. It has a small town feel and people just need a place to come together. A library provides that. We will work with our classmates and neighbors to build the children's portion of the new library. This is such a popular idea because a library will provide a safe and productive recreational activity to the youth of the community, along with giving many people access to knowledge, technology, and information. A library will also give children in the area after-school and summer activities to keep them having fun while doing something beneficial. There is evidence to back these educational needs up: 73% of Millvale’s population has a high school diploma and 8% has a Bachelor’s Degree. In Allegheny County 86% of people graduated high school and 28% have their Bachelor’s Degree.

Social Impact

Our project's social impact will be -and already has been- tremendous. From 2008-09 resident-volunteers served over 500 kids and operated a successful children's library. They purchased a building to house the new library. When completed there will be better education and literacy in local youth, plus an instilled desire to read at an earlier age. The process of establishing the library has shown a huge sense of community. The step that we, as youth involved in the project, would like to focus on now is the children’s section. In order to further involve other teenagers and youth, we are planning a day where we and our fellow classmates give back. There will be a full day of service with two or three Shaler Area High school clubs, which include the Key Club and peers who are musicians and artists. Several youth will work with an electrician to install electrical wiring. 20 students will volunteer for 3 hours each. We will install and prepare all the drywall in the children’s section.

Plan for Change

Our plan for change is not only to help build a functional children's library in our community, but to bring as many people as we can together to help out, including other teens. The library will provide a productive way to spend time when it is finished, but it also provides an awesome way to bring youth together and do something fun and productive in the process of establishing it. To do so, there is an event planned for May 5th, involving artists and musicians at Shaler Area High School. Each year, there is an art show planned in the school’s courtyard, at which a few of the Shaler bands play an acoustic set. The problem is that this can only happen during school hours, so only other students can see the art and appreciate the music. This year, however, the event is planned to take place at Millvale Library. This will raise awareness of the library in people throughout the Shaler School District and help needed in further establishing it, and hopefully get even more youth involved.

Innovation

Our project is extremely innovative in many ways. First off, it has been established entirely by volunteers, people who are certified in certain related fields, helping not for pay but because they want to see Millvale get its own library. Certified electricians and carpenters will help us build. The collaboration between so many different groups of people in the church, business, student and residential communitities has been outstanding. Another innovative aspect of our project that excites me is the artistic side of it. For instance, the children’s section will have stained glass windows designed, created, and installed - all donated! - by Kelly Art Glass –a Millvale company- in each of the three window seats. Bringing local teens together for an art show and acoustic concert will also bring some culture and art into the project. As part of our project another famous local artist, sculptor James Simon, will install a kid-friendly sculpture of a dog holding books on its head.

Sustainability

Our idea can most certainly live on, for it is a substantial and very influential project. Even through what has been done so far, a legacy has been formed in the Millvale community when people all unite to help with a common purpose and goal. In another way, our project can also live on as part of an established center. In addition to the library, there will be onsite residential and commercial rental space whose income offsets costs of operating the library. Eventually, the library will also receive county and state funding to live on in the future. As an integral part of the library, our project will live on. Other communities may be interested in using this idea to help operate their libraries, especially when so many are considering closing because they don't have enough tax money. We will use the $15,000 to purchase construction materials (drywall, wood, electrical supplies), the James Simon sculpture of a dog balancing books on its head, and 2 new computers for the kids to use.

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