Students at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School in the Hyde Park neighborhood are now able to check out and read books from their own library for the first time in the school’s more than 150-year history.
The Archdiocesan-based Most Holy Trinity school has been a staple in the community since 1848 and serves a diverse group of students.
“The children never could have dreamt of a resource like this in their school,” said Kim Lenz, development director at Most Holy Trinity. “There was never a functioning room where children could go and check out books or for the teachers to use as a resource.”
The newly renovated library is housed in what was once two cold and dingy storage areas located in the school’s basement.
“We sat in an empty room on the concrete floor,” Susan Ludeman, third grade volunteer at Most Holy Trinity, remembered.
Last fall, Susan and her husband Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, donated an undisclosed amount of funds to renovate the space, which took about a year.
Lenz emphasized that the library renovation project was extremely “children-focused” and completed in a “non-corporate” fashion.
To add an artistic touch, Susan Ludeman enlisted the help of her friend Dana Stiebel, who painted a colorful mural on the library’s wall based on a book of poems by T.S. Elliot, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.”
Although it’s still located in the basement, the new library is now “warm and welcoming,” Lenz said.
Prior to the school having access to its own library, teachers and students took advantage of free resources like the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL). On one occasion, a librarian from the SLPL visited the school and read to small groups of children.
“I was in the library with the kids, and they’re just so excited to be down there, just so eager to expand their world,” Susan Ludeman said. “It really is a very rewarding and fulfilling thing for me and I think it’s making a difference in their lives.”
When the community got wind of the project, they were generous with their support. Recently, a caravan of Most Holy Trinity volunteers drove west from North St. Louis city to St. Anselm Parish & Elementary school in Creve Coeur, where they picked up 1,000 donated books. The books were collected during a recent book drive held by the Catholic Youth Council of St. Louis.
During a three-day scholastic book fair sponsored by the University of Phoenix held in the new Most Holy Trinity library, each child was given a book voucher they could use to purchase books. Most Holy Trinity received a portion of the book fair’s proceeds, which school officials used to purchase additional books
One boy’s hopes were dashed when his parent said they couldn’t afford to buy the book he had selected. It was a book from the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series.
Pat Mooney, a volunteer librarian at Most Holy Trinity, consoled the child by saying, “We have the entire set in the library. You can come in here any time and sign out any of these books.”
She remembered how the little boy’s eyes widened when he asked, “Any time I want to, I can take these books?”
Most Holy Trinity currently has 5,000 books. If you would like to make a book or monetary donation, contact Kim Lenz at (314) 241-9165.
