Thames Valley District School Board elementary school libraries received a $551,169 boost from the Ontario Ministry of Education. The Ministry announced the new funds for Thames Valley elementary schools as part of a $15-million provincial initiative.
“This is a significant investment in elementary school libraries, and will support school's literacy goals through these libraries,” said Valerie Nielsen, Superintendent of Education, Program Services. “With baseline funding plus a per pupil amount, this is an initiative that will benefit students in any size school.”
The initiative is part of a first-ever agreement between the government and 73 booksellers to allow school boards to buy library books and other resources at a discount ranging between five and 50 per cent. The vendors are small, medium and large booksellers and include independent and specialty stores as well as chains, publishers and distributors.
Schools are expected to enhance their library collections with books or print equivalents such as graphic novels, fiction, non-fiction, e-texts and reference materials
