The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation celebrated the grand openings of the first three school libraries completely redesigned and renovated as part of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project.
The official celebration began at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at one of those three schools, Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School. Speakers included Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Andrés A. Alonso, Ed.D., Chief Executive Officer, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Rachel Garbow Monroe, President, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
Through a multi-media presentation including live video, this event showcased the transformed library spaces and simultaneous celebrations at all three schools: Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle, Moravia Park Elementary, and Southwest Baltimore Charter School. Students, parents, faculty, and the community were able to see the renovated spaces up close for the first time. The Weinberg Foundation also announced the Baltimore City schools that will be selected for the second year of the Library Project: Arlington Elementary School, The Historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School, and East Baltimore Community School. Congratulations to all!
The Weinberg Library Project involves 30 businesses, nonprofits, and government partners, working with Baltimore City Public Schools to design, build, equip, and staff new or renovated school libraries where existing public funding can be leveraged. As a result of the success of this initiative in just its first year, the Foundation recently increased its overall financial commitment to $5 million for a total of 12 new libraries over four years.
