Library Revived at Harlem’s Locke Elementary School

HARLEM, NY -- After going without a school library for more than 10 years, the students at the Locke School for Arts and Engineering in Harlem will have access again to a library starting this month.

The new library, created and staffed entirely by parent volunteers, will welcome Locke elementary students to a bright, engaging space with more than 7,500 books. Like many New York City schools, Locke’s library closed years ago due to budget cuts. A report by Chalkbeat in 2023 cited only 260 certified librarians for 1,600 public schools in New York.

In 2021, Lauren Yu and Niko Godfrey Bommer, who both have children at Locke, began a project to revive the Locke library after volunteering for a library committee during a PTA meeting.

“We saw the old library at Locke as a lost opportunity, a wasted space,” Yu said. “We thought every school should have a library to foster a love of reading and learning for students.”

Making a library out of a mess

When Yu and Godfrey Bommer started the project, they found a dingy, disorganized space with outdated books and sagging shelves. The former library had become a dumping ground for old classroom books and unwanted materials.

Many of the books were severely damaged, historically inaccurate or not appropriate for today’s students. A book on the solar system still listed Pluto as a planet. A biography of Hillary Clinton was published before she became a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State and the first woman to be nominated for President by a major political party.

“It was a mess,” Godfrey Bommer said. “Our hands would be covered in grime each day when we finished going through the books. We also knew nothing about running a library. We had to learn the Dewey decimal system. That was a whole thing.”

Creating a space for Harlem’s students

Yu and Godfrey Bommer slowly sorted through the mess and came up with a plan. They donated or discarded books that could no longer be used for a common library. They learned how to create a library from scratch, and they started a wish-list for new books.

Fortunately, the two parents got help from others. A librarian at the Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library provided guidance. The New York City Department of Education provided a scanner and logging software. They received book donations from several sources – Bank Street School for Children, Buy Nothing Harlem and books drives through Locke families and friends.

Yu and Godfrey Bommer were also joined by other parent volunteers. The extra hands were a huge help with the most tedious task – creating and putting labels on the spines of thousands of books.

As they rebuilt the library, the parent volunteers thought carefully about what they were creating.

They wanted the library to be current and representative of the neighborhood. That meant adding more books that reflected African-American and Hispanic cultures as well as the rich history of Harlem. It meant close consideration of racial and gender equity.

“Diversity was extremely important to us,” Godfrey Bommer said. “Every child should be able to find a book that makes them feel good about who they are.”

Expanding access to all Locke students

All the work is finally paying off. The new Locke library – 7,500 books strong – is stocked with everything from easy readers for Pre-K students to longer, more complex books for the school’s 5th graders. Students can be inspired and entertained by books like “Ben’s Trumpet,” “Jamaica’s Find,” and “Rad American Women A-Z.”

A few classes have already visited the library on a trial basis. In November, the new Locke library is planning orientation sessions for teachers, so they can start scheduling classroom visits for all students.

On their first visit, students make their own personalized library cards. They hold scavenger hunts to explore and discover how a library works. The big payoff is seeing them find a book they love. The students leave with big smiles, clutching a new book to take home to read.

“The smiles on their faces are priceless,” Godfrey Bommer said. “That’s why you do it. Children want to read and explore on their own. We just have to give them a chance to do it.”

A model for what’s possible

The parents at Locke hope their library re-opening can inspire others in New York. The library will continue to be staffed and run by volunteers with prospects slim for DOE funding.

“Maybe, we could be a test case of what’s possible at other schools in the neighborhood,” Godfrey Bommer said. “They see that some parent volunteers without any experience in library science are able to create something special.”

Even after the official opening, the work at the new Locke library continues. For those wanting to contribute books, you can see the needs and donate by clicking on the Thriftbooks Locke Library Wishlist or the Amazon Locke Library Wishlist.

Monetary donations can be made to the Locke PTA by Venmo (@LockePTA185), Zelle (PTA.LockeSchool@gmail.com), or CashApp ($PTALockeSchool) -- be sure to note the donation is for the library. If you’re interested in donating a magazine subscription or volunteering, please contact PS185LockeLibrary@gmail.com.