Hauppauge Student Helps Create Elementary School Library

A Hauppauge student who learned of an elementary school in need of books for its students is gaining recognition for her effort in creating Amanda's Book Rescue.

Amanda Borowski, a seventh-grader at , donated more than 3,600 books to Martin L. Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Wyandanch to help create a school library. Borowski, 12, received a proclamation from the Suffolk County Legislature in recognition of her community service and charitable effort on Tuesday morning.

Borowski told the Times of Smithtown that she first learned another local elementary school didn't have a library from her mother.

"My mom came home from work one day and said that the elementary school doesn't have a library and I was like, 'Are you kidding me? I have a bunch of books sitting on my book shelf that I don't read anymore' and I was like, 'How about we start something about collecting books?'" Borowski told the Times of Smithtown.

She then created Amanda's Book Rescue as a community service project dedicated to fighting illiteracy, especially for children who may not have the same resources as others due to homelessness, illness, natural disasters or financial constraints.

"My goal is to help establish or re-establish elementary school libraries in school districts on Long Island that have lost or never had a school library," Borowski wrote as her mission statement.

During a short six-week donation drive last fall, the Hauppauge student sought out donations of gently used children's book by attending school district events, email chains and other methods. Borowski got the project off to a quick start by donating 200 of her own books, then surpassed her intial goal of collecting 500 to 1,000 books to help start the elementary school's library.

Borowski has sent out word that she has no intention of stopping. She's looking for other schools and organizations that Amanda's book rescue can assist next.

Reach out to Amanda's Book Rescue to donate gently used children's books via her website or by calling 631-922-0642. Cash donations to purchase new books are also welcome, and will go 100 percent towards new books.