Can you imagine 30 years of working at a library? That’s how many years of Nancy Maus’s life she dedicated to the Colwich Community Library. If you’ve driven by the building recently, you may have noticed an addition on the east side of the library. This new add-on is known as Nancy’s Children’s Room. This new space was dedicated to Nancy because of her commitment to the Colwich Library. The Renwick Review staff had the opportunity to interview the head librarian, Joanna Kraus, about Nancy’s Children’s Room.
On September 25th, 2023, the Colwich Library, hosted a grand opening to celebrate the extension. “Nancy’s Children’s Room” idea can be credited to Kraus who came up with the idea in March of 2017. Nancy’s room features a variety of easy to read children’s books and toys for them to be entertained. According to statistics from the National Scholastic reading report, kids ages 6–11 who actively participate in read-aloud time by asking questions or making funny noises or sound effects are more likely than other children to be frequent readers. Interestingly enough The National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, found that children who were read to frequently are more likely to count to 20, or higher, than those who were not. They are also more likely to write their own names and read. These statistics can be achieved through places like Nancy’s Children’s Room! With the addition of Nancy’s Children’s Room, people are able to spend more time at the library due to it now being less crowded. Many of the Colwich residents appreciated the open house and having the opportunity to see the children’s room dedicated to a special person.
As Joanna Kraus stated, “everybody under the sun” was involved in this project. This project was special and everyone wanted to help. The community came together with donations, fundraisers, and raffles. Nancy’s family has a big help, too. The library did two different rounds of donations. Unfortunately after the first round of donations they came a bit short, due to the increasing prices of construction. Nancy’s Children’s Room was made possible by donations from all over!
This project has been in the works for quite some time. Nancy’s Childrens Room is an opportunity for children to become more advanced in reading and to encourage them to spend more time at the library. Thank you to all of those who made this dream a reality, and especially to Joanna Kraus for the idea. Things like these are what make Renwick communities special. If you’re ever in the area, make sure to check out Nancy’s Childrens Room at the Colwich Community Library.
