At a press conference on April 23, the Nelson Place School in Worcester honored the College of the Holy Cross for spearheading the Colleges of Worcester Consortium Intercollegiate Government Association’s effort to donate $5,318 for its new automated library system.
Mayor Joseph Petty, Holy Cross Director of Government and Community Relations Edward Augustus, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools Melinda Boone, President of the Nelson Place School Parent Teacher Organization Beth Proko, city officials, parents and students from Nelson Place School, and representatives from the Colleges of Worcester Consortium Intercollegiate Government Association, gathered at Nelson Place School to recognize the students’ efforts.
“The Intercollegiate Student Government Association wanted to give back to the community and this seemed like a perfect fit,” says Mayor Joseph Petty. “The students worked collaboratively, raised the necessary funds and volunteered their time to get the system up and running. I am impressed with the commitment and sense of community these students have brought to Worcester.”
The current card catalog at Nelson Place School library (which is operated by parent volunteers on part-time basis) is outdated, making it impossible for students and faculty to find specific books.
“There was little disagreement that an automated library management system would be a wonderful asset to our library, yet the cost and the challenge of entering thousands of books were huge deterrents,” explains Proko.
Members of the Holy Cross Student Government Association led the effort to raise money for the purchase of the Alexandria Library Management System, an automated system supported in other Worcester Public School libraries. Through the Colleges of Worcester Consortium Intercollegiate Government, Clark University, Becker College, Anna Maria College and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences all helped to raise money on their campuses.
From April 24-27, students from the five colleges will add bar codes to all the books and catalog them on the shelves, so students and staff can locate books more easily.
“This generous donation of time and monies for the installation of the Alexandria System at Nelson Place is incredible,” says Proko. “The students will now be able to locate specific books they are interested in and our volunteers will be able to work with the school staff to evaluate what we have for books and where we can best increase our choices to support the students’ reading levels and project focuses.”
Holy Cross student organizer Kenneth Calemmo ’12 says engagement in the community is central to the College’s Jesuit mission, which seeks to create a sense of accountability and direct investment in Worcester. “The Nelson Place Library project provided the perfect venue for the Colleges of the Worcester Consortium to come together in an unprecedented way and make a small positive impact in the lives of others,” he shares.
News Coverage
- WCTR/Channel 3 (April 23, 2012) College Students Honored at Nelson Place School
