School Opens Library With Community Help

NORTHRIDGE — Lorne Street Elementary School celebrated the opening this week of its new library, complete with fully stacked shelves and two computers.

It’s a big deal on campus because, less than a year ago, the school’s library consisted of a classroom with mostly outdated books scattered on half-empty shelves.

It was a sad sight that triggered Principal Rob Fishman’s campaign to get a real library.

He wrote letters to about 200 companies asking for donations to buy books and offered an engraved brass plaque crediting the benefactor beneath each shelf.

“I got a lot of polite thanks-but-no-thanks letters,” Fishman said.

In a last-ditch effort, Fishman wrote a letter to The Times, which led to a story in the Book Review section describing the library’s dismal state.

In a few months, $25,000 was donated by a variety of companies and private citizens.

“It was just amazing,” Fishman said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

The money not only bought 7,000 new books and much-needed furniture, but also provided funding to hire three librarians.