WEST BRIGHTON — Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott joined teachers and staff at P.S. 18 in West Brighton Monday morning to open the school's renovated library.
The overhaul added 2,000 new books to the library, plus technology including iPads.
"It's a great library that is really student-friendly," Walcott said. "It's a library that is specifically geared to our students to open up reading for them."
The nearly six-month long renovation process was funded by Target and the Heart of America Foundation as part of their national library makeover program. It turned the once-dim space to a brightly lit room with quotes on the walls.
Principal Robert Rodriguez hailed the makeover as a boost for P.S. 18 kids.
"This library has been completely transformed, it was a dark, dark place," he said. "It's going to bring in so many new opportunities for our students."
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning, each student got to take home seven books donated by the companies. Also, Target set up a food pantry outside the school, where students' families could take home as much as 22 pounds of fresh produce. Rodriguez said this was a big help to them.
"Considering the lower social-economic status of our parents, it's critical," he said said about the food donations. "It's critical in thinking about eating healthy and what a healthy mind can contribute to the education of our students."
In addition to the P.S. 18 library, the companies also renovated P.S. 179 in Brooklyn and P.S. 148 in Queens this year.
The school library makeovers started in 2008, and by the end of 2015, Target will have donated $1 billion to city schools, the Department of Education said.
