Grayslake District 46's unused ISC building may soon have a new tenant.
A not-for-profit literary support organization, The Book Bridge, is set to sign a contract to use the building as a storage and distribution facility. The ISC building's proximity to Grayslake Middle School will also give students the chance to perform service work with the organization.
At the District 46 School Board's June 19 meeting, Superintendent Ellen Correll said The Book Bridge's founder and executive director, Pam Weiss, initially approached the district with the desire to use a classroom for her organization.
"But we thought, why not use the ISC?" said Correll.
Weiss, a Grayslake resident, said The Book Bridge is a grassroots project that helps children in need. Books are collected and distributed to children up to age 18 who are in crisis situations.
She said the project started with her friends and neighbors. Now, there are Boy and Girl Scout troops that hold book drives for the organization, which was just granted 501c3 status.
So far, The Book Bridge has distributed 8,000 books to children in various facilities, Weiss said.
"It's been a very rewarding experience," she said.
Weiss said children provide "wish lists" of the books they want and The Book Bridge aims to fulfill those requests.
"Providing them with that really motivates them to want to read," said Weiss.
The Book Bridge also has book rooms at Allendale and Kids Hope United, along with bookshelves at Nicasa in Round Lake and Waukegan.
"There is definitely a need that we're feeding there," said Weiss.
The Book Bridge also offers theme bags filled with books, toys, puzzles and other items that are given to organizations like A Safe Place.
Individuals interested in donating books can get information on needed books on The Book Bridge website and on Facebook, Weiss said.
"We only ask for specific books if we don't have them," said Weiss. She said there is typically a big need for popular series and bilingual books. She added that James Patterson is a particularly popular author among teens.
Weiss is looking forward to having a partnership with the school district. She envisions Grayslake Middle School students being able to walk across the parking lot to the ISC building, where they can help sort books and fill wish lists.
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