Library Nominees Win State Literacy Awards

FORT MYERS, Fla., March 14, 2006 – Two organizations nominated by the Lee County Library System will be honored with this year’s Florida Literacy Awards. Librarian Barb Coons, Lee County Library System Literacy Coordinator, nominated the Literacy Council of Bonita Springs and Mary Root, the founder of the Lehigh Acres Literacy Council, for the state-wide awards.

Mary Root will receive this year’s Outstanding Literacy Volunteer Award.

In 1986, Mary Root started Lehigh Acres Literacy Council. Over the past twenty years, this all volunteer-program has changed the lives of hundreds of people helping them to become self-supporting, tax-paying, involved citizens in the community. Mary has personally taught nearly 200 students, in addition to managing day-to-day operations, budget and fund-raising. She has conducted student intake and testing, recruited tutors, coordinated their training, and matched tutors and students. These students, in turn, have been able to help their own children, exponentially improving the lives of the entire community.

The Literacy Council of Bonita Springs will receive this year’s Excellence in Education Award.

The Literacy Council of Bonita Springs has served students in south Lee County since 1988, however, the organization has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, under the leadership of Program Director Katie Verna. Her term started with a budget of less than $25,000, a staff of two part-time employees and service to 140 students. This year, the Literacy Council has a budget of $240,000, a staff of two full-time and two part-time employees and three teachers and 400 volunteers. This has enabled the council to expand its services to include night-time classes and reach 1,200 students.

Coons recently received notification that both her nominees had won in their respective categories. She says she couldn’t be happier for these literacy partners.

“I think they’re very deserving and do a wonderful job meeting the needs of literacy students in the area. Our services compliment each other and we refer people to each other. The organizations do one-on-one tutoring and allow us to come and work with their tutors, so they and their students know the resources that are available at the library,” Coons said.

Ms. Root and the Literacy Council of Bonita Springs will receive their awards at the Florida Literacy Awards Banquet and Reception in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 4. As the nominator of both winners, Ms. Coons will also be attending the event and will receive free registration for the state-wide literacy conference. The free registration represents approximately $200 in cost savings for the Lee County Library System.

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