Ep1: Helping kids read | Librarian Tom Bober + Helping brides and grooms cope | Designer Brannon Lewis
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In Season Two's first episode, we hear from Helpers Tom Bober, a librarian at a Captain Elementary in St. Louis, Missouri and from Brannon Lewis, a commercial office designer in Mountain View, California.
Just before his school's closure due to Covid-19, Tom thought quickly on his feet and ensured every single student in his school came through the library. By the afternoon, every child had checked out a stack of books to take home for the long haul — 1,700 books total. In this episode, Tom reflects on what that day was like and shares resources for parents with little ones at home (including a few of his favorite children’s books).
After planning her own wedding last year, Brannon saw that the added expenses of invitations — not to mention “Change the Date” cards — can add up quickly. After seeing friends and strangers being forced to postpone their own weddings, Brannon spent her weekend designing a number of “Change the Date" card templates that are free for anyone to use. “It’s awesome that something that I pulled together in like three to four hours last Saturday is now helping people and getting spread around,” Lewis said. Download the templates at the link below.
““Getting the chance to tell those kids that they were able to take so many more books home than they normally would was the most joyful moment that I had that day.””
Episode Notes:
Tom’s Book Recs: The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal) and Princess Cora and the Crocodile
Brannon’s Free “Change the Date” Card Templates can be found in this Google Drive Folder.
Tom’s tweet: Today I decided, with the possibility of an extended break, that we would drastically expand the number of books that’s students could check out. We had the entire school through the library by 12:45. The shelves are a mess but these kids have some great books going home.
If you’ve been touched by a helper and would like to share your story, email us at info@sanitymedia.com.
1,700 books
one afternoon