by Claire Miller
Sandra Deal remembers participating in summer reading programs and visiting the local library often when she was growing up.
“My mother started all of us reading at a young age,” said Mrs. Deal, Georgia’s First Lady. “After lunch, she always asked us to rest for a few minutes and read a book.”
She speaks passionately about emphasizing literacy with her own children and continues that tradition with her grandchildren, who visit the libraries in Hall County regularly.
Mrs. Deal had the opportunity to visit Hall County’s newest library – part of the North Hall Community and Technology Center in Gainesville, Ga. – on Feb. 26 to accept a set of 43 children’s books the College of Education donated in her honor to the center.
“I’m so grateful to Georgia State University for giving these books to the library,” Mrs. Deal said. “Of all the places that might need new books, I thought that a new library would be the best place for them.”
Al List, branch manager for the library at the North Hall Community and Technology Center, said the library staff was honored to be the branch chosen to receive the book donation.
“Mrs. Deal is such a supporter of literacy, both in schools and in public libraries, and it means a lot to us,” he said.
The book donation is one of a three-part celebration of the First Lady’s commitment to improving children’s literacy in Georgia. The College of Education hosted a luncheon on Jan. 15 to recognize Mrs. Deal’s work in schools across the state and donated a set of books in her honor to Georgia State’s Child Development Center. The college will donate a third set of books to the library at Mary Lin Elementary School in Atlanta this spring.
Mrs. Deal’s visit to the university and the book donations are also part of Georgia State’s Centennial celebrations, which will take place throughout 2013.
For more information about additional Centennial activities, visit http://100.gsu.edu.
