I truly feel terrible for children having to grow up during a time where they’re expected to avoid meeting up with other children for playdates, complete school merely online, and stay home as much as possible. And, yes, staying at home means no more arcade, movie theatre, or amusement park visits. This has to be rough for kids who are only kids for so long.
But Virginian School Librarian, Kelly Passek, is all about being adaptable. With libraries having to stay closed during the virus, she decided to have books delivered to children by drone. This way, they could have something to do while in quarantine, and, as a bonus, help them build their vocabulary and boost their intelligence overall.
“As a school librarian, it is extremely important to me to have connections with my students so that I can make sure that they have got access to the resources that they need and the resources that will allow them to be successful — not just academically, but also in life,” the librarian said.
Apart from providing youngsters a source of entertainment and education, giving the drone deliveries a go meant that Mrs. Passek could continue staying connected with the students. And, fortunately, the superintendent of the school she works at, Mark Miear, was just as excited about the library book delivery service as she was.
To top it off, the whole drone delivery setup is a completely unique offering from any public school.
“Montgomery County Public Schools will be the first public school system in the world to use Wing to deliver library books to our students,” Mrs. Passek said. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to have a really unique way to deliver resources to our students and do it practically on demand.”
How it works is, the students request a certain book or books via an online form on the library’s website. After the librarian selects and packs the book(s), she then uses drone delivery service, “Wing,” to have the book(s) delivered to each student. Books delivered on your front lawn and over 150,000 books to choose from? I say it’s a great idea!
Mrs. Passek, of course, agrees. Not only is it something fun for students to take advantage of, but it’s relevant and meaningful in a generation of information.
“Our libraries are essential and unique parts of our community and it is extremely important for our students to continue to have access to the resources that are here in our libraries in order to guarantee their success,” the librarian said.
It’s such a cool concept that I hope the school will stick with, even after the virus! Learn more about the Virginia school’s library book delivery service below.
