Blackwell Library donates books to Blackwell schools

The Blackwell Public Library are bringing books to Blackwell students to be enjoyed for generations to come. 

At Thursday’s February 6 meeting of the Blackwell City Council, Director of Operations for the Blackwell Public Library Talyn Spence spoke to the council about approving a laundry list of books for surplus. 

Books are often declared surplus at the library for being under-circulated after a certain number of years, being older and worn versions of popular titles, being outdated educational texts with modern versions available, or needing replaced for other reasons and are often put up for sale in the library’s revolving book sale. 

This also clears space on the library’s limited shelves for new and in-demand titles. 

Spence stated that the donation would give these titles a new audience: 

“We are partnering with the libraries at the Blackwell High School and Blackwell Middle School,” Spence told the Council, “and we are donating several YA, nonfiction, and fiction titles to the two school libraries so that they will be used and circulated for years to come,” said Spence.

“Talyn has seriously upped the game at the Blackwell Public Library,” said District Media Specialist Michaeleen Paige. 

“I love seeing all the special events for our community posted to their Facebook page- so this is my heartfelt thank you to the Blackwell Public Library and especially Talyn for the generous donation of books to the BMS and BHS libraries.” 

Paige continued: 

“This generosity directly impacts our students’ learning and helps strengthen our community’s commitment to education.”

In late-2024, the Blackwell Public Library donated copies of “Killers of the Flower Moon” to the Blackwell Middle School for Native American Heritage Month as the book was being covered in an English class.

The Blackwell Public Library has also worked extensively with the Blackwell High School’s library to facilitate yearbooks that one or the other did not have. The BHS Library also helped with the library’s first-ever Homecoming Exhibit, “Maroon Memory Lane” which debuted during Homecoming 2024.