Eastword: Nolan students come up with nifty idea for sharing the love of reading

Nolan County Middle School members of Technology Student Association put up a free lending library with a surf and Florida inspired theme on Friday. Shown at Greenbrook Park on Friday are Beau Cunningham, Grant Trautweiler, Angelo LaFrese, Amanda Boccarossa, Naomi Burg, and Kaitlin Bohan.

It's got a tin roof, miniature surfboards on the side, including some with a a jagged edge where an imaginary shark has taken a bite. It's got swaying palm trees, too, and bright tropical colors.

It could be a beach bum's shack on Key West, or Anna Maria Island, but it's at Lakewood Ranch's Greenbrook Park, and it's the community's newest lending library.

Students in Nolan Middle School's Technology Student Association designed, built and installed the mini library on a pole.

Nolan students, who have excelled in state and national TSA competition in recent years, tackled the project as a construction challenge after identifying a community need.

The students also designed a second library for Tom Bennett Park, this one with a more rustic, fishing theme.

With libraries cutting hours, students saw a need in providing a free library, TSA advisor Maureen Hudson said.

"The idea is for someone to take a book and bring it back, or exchange it with another book," Hudson said.

Students conducted a book drive to stock the little library, and filled one shelf with books for adults, and another shelf for younger readers.

The Lakewood Ranch park is located at 6655 Greenbrook Blvd.

The idea at Greenbrook Park was to get folks "hooked on reading," sixth grader Grant Trautweiler said.

Students turned to sixth grader Beau Cunningham and his art skills to design the Greenbook library. He used Corel Draw to design the art elements on the house, and the pieces were cut out using an Epilog Laser.

"We live in Florida and Florida is known for its beaches," Beau said of the tropical themed design.

Melissa Nell from Manatee County Natural Resources worked with students on each phase of the project.

Asked how she thought the project had turned out, seventh grader Naomi Burg said, "I think it would be a 10 out of 10. Everyone pitched in and helped."