WOODVILLE — The Woodville Public Library, one of the libraries in the Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service, has been awarded $1,000 from the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation for the purchase of children’s books.

The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc., is a charitable institution whose purpose is to assist organizations in their efforts to provide books to children who might otherwise lack access to children’s literature. Lois Lenski, the 1946 Newbery medalist for Strawberry Girl, had a life-long concern that good books be available to all children.

In pursuit of this goal, she established a foundation to provide grants to public libraries, school libraries, and non-profit agencies serving disadvantaged populations. The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation annually awards grants to rural and urban, public and school libraries serving at-risk children. The Foundation gives priority to applications from libraries and agencies with real need and limited book budgets.

The Woodville Public Library has unfortunately lost many books in its collection due to the disrepair of the building. Thanks to a grant from the State of Mississippi, construction is now underway to repair the building.

“We applied for the Lois Lenski Covey Grant, because we felt the needs of the children must come first in rebuilding the collection in the Woodville Public Library,” said Susan Cassagne, director of the Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service. We are most appreciative of the foundation for recognizing our need and providing this financial support.”