Westbury school library upgraded to aid financial literacy

Don't force your child to read daily. Let it come... — Don't force your child to read daily. Let it come naturally. Leave some age-appropriate books on the kitchen table or in your child's bedroom so that he or she goes to get the book on their own. -- Jackson Avenue Elementary School in Mineola Credit: Fotolia

By Lisa DuOctober 18, 2012

Next week, the students at Drexel Avenue Elementary School in Westbury will have 800 new books in their library and plenty of space to enjoy them.

Starting Thursday, a group of volunteers from Capital One and the nonprofit The Heart of American Foundation will help build an outside reading gazebo and a book nook in a reading classroom at Drexel elementary. The construction will be a two-day effort.

The two organizations are also donating the new books to the school's library in a joint effort to promote literacy and financial education. Some of the books will focus on money management, and a collection of books about financial literacy for adults will also be part of the library's upgrade.

Volunteers have also been helping out with various duties at Drexel this whole week. The events are also part of Capital One's week of community service where over 500 local employees have been volunteering with various organizations.

Drexel elementary will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Friday to open the new spaces.