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Library’s Angel Tree Project helps pay off kids’ fees

By Richard Scanland

LANSING, Ill. (December 16, 2022) – The Lansing Public Library recently started a festive program to pay off fees on children’s library cards this holiday season: The Angel Tree Project. Patrons in the library will notice small Christmas trees decorated with tiny angels made of paper with monetary amounts written on them. Patrons can take these angels to the front desk to make a donation in the amount written on their chosen paper angel.

angel tree
The Angel Tree Project runs until the second week of January. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)

Library director Lisa Korajczyk started the program this year in a creative effort to collect donations to pay off fees. The Lansing Public Library doesn’t collect late fines, but does collect fees for lost or damaged books. If a patron reaches $5 worth of fees on their card, they are no longer able to use it. This program seeks to help pay off those fees for children, who are more likely to lose or damage library materials.

“It’s important for children to be able to use their library cards,” Korajczyk said, explaining that the fines would prohibit them from checking out books or using digital resources for their homework. Even the smallest fees may also be hard for parents that are struggling financially to pay, she said.

The Angel Tree Project aims to give more children access to the books they want to read, as well as any digital resources they need for their schoolwork.

The program has already raised about $300 so far, helping dozens of families in the Lansing community pay off library fees for their kids and allow them to regain full use of the library. The project runs until the second week of January and every donation helps, no matter how small.

The Lansing Public Library is located at 2750 Indiana Avenue.

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Richard Scanland
Richard Scanland
Richard is a recent college graduate with a passion for writing. He aspires to write full-time, as well as become a published author. When not writing, he can often be found reading or playing video games with friends.