Students at Baker Intermediate School will soon have new books to read after the school was awarded $30,000 to help replenish its library.

According to Baker Librarian Deb Condley, Baker’s shortage on some books began when Clark County’s schools were consolidated in 2014. At that time, Baker went from being a middle school serving fifth- through eighth-graders to serving only fifth and sixth grades. That change left the school with numerous books that were not at an appropriate reading level for the students being taught there, and the books were eventually sent to Robert D. Campbell Junior High.

“Our collection went from 12,000 to about 8,000,” Condley said. “Since then, we’ve struggled to meet needs, especially for those reading at a low grade level.”

The grant is from the Steele-Reece Foundation, which supports rural communities in Montana, Idaho and Appalachian Kentucky. Condley said the money will pay for about 1,500 books, which she’s in the process of ordering now.

She said the process has been fun, as she’s been able to purchase several books students have said they’ve wanted in the past.

“We have a list of suggested books to be purchased for the students, so we’ve had a lot of fun getting those items from the list,” Condley said.

She said many of the requested books have been children’s classics, like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Captain Underpants is also a popular request, but a large number of the books asked for are graphic novels.

“Those are great for students who are reading at a lower level,” Condley said. “The illustrations are able to help them keep track of what is going on in the story and keep them interested in reading.”

Condley said the books will be delivered to the library in time for current Baker students to read them. She said as they arrive she will add them to the library’s shelves.