After many years of neglect, the McKinley Elementary School Library has been getting a make-over. This is our second annual Readathon, and the money we raise will be used to purchase new library books and new chairs for the library. The children and the teachers have been compiling lists of books they want us to buy for the library collection. Our goal: to have the most beautiful, enticing, well-stocked school library in the district.

Every elementary school in San Francisco now has a part-time librarian, funded through money from Proposition H, a local measure passed in 2004 to provide money to public schools for libraries, arts, sports, and music. McKinley Elementary had not had a librarian in over 10 years when Ren Volpe started as the Library Media Teacher in 2006, and she has done an amazing job transforming the library into a literary education area.

Ren has worked as a teacher in San Francisco for the past 11 years: 3 years as a classroom teacher and 8 years as an elementary school librarian. She is onsite at McKinley 2 days a week for 2007/8 school year, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Each classroom will visit the library once a week to receive standards-based instruction, hear stories, learn essential library skills (like using the online catalog), do research, and of course, check out library books.

Parents are also encouraged to check out books from the school library, too! Parents and family members may take up to 10 books at a time; please stop by on any Wednesday or Thursday.

We're looking forward to the start of this year's Readathon. Ren brought the Readathon to McKinley last year, and it was quite a success. This year should be even better. Stay tuned for more on the start of this year's Readathon.

• Online library catalog