New Collection Offers Many Benefits

More Children's Books Now Available in GCC Library

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GCC Fine Arts student Rebecca Woodruff of Batavia stands by the new Children’s Book Collection in the GCC Library which features signage she designed.

BATAVIA, NY (11/05/2014)(readMedia)-- When students at Genesee Community College need access to children's literature for early education coursework, it's now available in the Alfred C. O'Connell Library on the Batavia campus. The Library has developed a new, expanded Children's Book Collection thanks to a President's Innovation Award (PIA) grant and the work of many hands from the Library, the GCC Child Care Center, faculty and students.

The Library has had a collection of Caldecott and Newbery award winning titles available specifically for use by the Children's Literature course (LIT203). Until now, requests for other children's books have been referred to public libraries. "This has been a disadvantage for students residing at College Village and/or those students who have no transportation," said Cindy Francis, Collection Development Librarian and co-author of the PIA grant, along with GCC Child Care Center director Staci Williams and Human Services instructor Kathyann Betters. "We've added nearly 200 children's books which will support college curricula, Child Care programming, and provide children's instructional resources for loan to faculty, staff and students," Francis said.

Faculty members have been asking for a children's book collection for several semesters. These new books will support Pre-K Education classes as well as Human Services internships, education class assignments, psychology, speech and nursing coursework.

The Child Care Center is thrilled. "This is an amazing new collection and opportunity for students, faculty, staff, parents, and children," Staci Williams, Child Care Center director enthusiastically exclaimed. "These books will be beneficial for the children in our care and for our many students who are parents. This will help raise their awareness of early literacy by providing resources for children's pre-reading skills."

The new collection also provided a way for a GCC Fine Arts student to put her skills to work. Rebecca Woodruff, 19, of Batavia created the colorful 3D lettering that draws eyes towards the library shelves where the collection is housed. Utilizing timeless themes of nature and sports, each letter features unique details, such as a bird's nest, night sky, soccer ball, and flower bed. "I'm very happy with it," Woodruff said. A 2013 graduate of Batavia High School, Rebecca has already earned a General Studies degree from GCC. She was encouraged to pursue her Fine Arts degree and expects to complete that in May 2015. "We couldn't be more pleased with Rebecca's professionalism and creativity on this project," said Francis. "One of our own has left her creative mark for the GCC community to enjoy for years to come."

The President's Innovation Award Program, funded by the Genesee Community College Foundation, provides mini-grants to faculty and staff proposed projects that bring innovation to the College and foster positive college and community relations.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

Photographs of the new Children's Book Collection at the GCC Library are available here:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/RebeccaWoodruff.jpg

Caption: GCC Fine Arts student Rebecca Woodruff of Batavia stands by the new Children's Book Collection in the GCC Library which features signage she designed.

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/ChildrensBookCollection.jpg

Caption: GCC Child Care Center Director Staci Williams (center) and her son Andrew, 2, enjoy books from the new collection along with GCC teacher education students Amanda DiSalvo and Dennis Alton, both of Batavia.