Staffing for school libraries has diminished greatly due to the ongoing budget crisis in our state and school district.  Although Third Street is budgeted by LAUSD to only have a librarian for 3 hours per day, Friends of Third has stepped in to provide funding for the remaining 3 hours each day, resulting in a full-time librarian, half-funded by LAUSD and half-funded by FOT.  In addition, Friends of Third fully pays for an after-school library aide so that the library can be open for students during after-school hours for reference and study purposes.  All children visit the Library regardless of their family’s ability to donate.

All classrooms visit the Library weekly during the school year. The library is open during recess and lunch and after school until 5:30pm. Students may check out up to 5 books for one week if accompanied by a parent and two books on their own.  Kindergarten students are also able to check out books, but must be accompanied by an adult at all times in the Library. 

Our students have so many wonderful books to choose from.  We are closing towards our goal of 20 books per students (the National goal is 25), but still have a little work to do. We currently have 12,645 books and need 14,500 to accomplish this. It would cost approximately $35,000, so this is an ongoing goal.

The recent 50th Anniversary Library Fundraiser saw us raising $7,600 towards buying new books, which have recently arrived and are busy circulating.

Programs currently in the library include the Tour de France reading challenge for First Graders; the Marathon Book Challenge for 2nd to 5th Graders; the Back-Issue Magazine Challenge for 3rd to 5th Graders and Third Street participates in the California Young Reader Medal Program where students throughout California nominate and vote for their favorite book.

We collect Box Tops and dimes to help support the World Wildlife Fund in their efforts to save endangered animals and protect their habitats. We have adopted two animals so far with the proceeds, the Three-Toed Sloth and the North American Black-Footed Ferret. The students really enjoy seeing how they can help.