On Tuesday, January 25, ACIT held a reveal of the newest books added to the media center. Earlier this year, Media Specialist Amy Ojserkis took a trip to Washington, DC where, at the Library of Congress, she was able to select a generous number of books through the Surplus Book Program.

The surplus program allows schools and non-profit organizations to expand their libraries. Ojserkis applied to the program 4 years ago, but was unable to go because of COVID-related travel restrictions. This past January, when the Library of Congress opened back up, ACIT was the fourth applicant to visit.

“It was overwhelming and wonderful to visit!… When I arrived, the staff told me that these visits are like ‘going to the biggest bookstore and getting everything for free,’” said Ojserkis.

Ojserkis was hoping to strengthen ACIT’s reading selection in specific areas, such as teaching books for art, photography, cookbooks, and self-help books.

“Some of the books we were able to bring back for our students are more technical, more academic, college level, and from independent or specialized publishers,” Ojserkis said. “You never know what interest will be sparked by a book.”

Whether it be to check out the books, or to help, or just to hang out with friends, many students were excited to come to this event for different reasons

“I really enjoy books so I wanted to find a hardcover book that I would actively read, plus there are so many different options here,” said senior Lillian Jackson. “It’s nice to see everyone actually enjoy reading.”

Just last year the surplus program distributed 45,000 books to schools. Ojserkis hopes to continue to partake in the program, and cultivate a reading selection that continues to serve and reflect ACIT students’ interests and experiences.

“I’m excited to go back with some colleagues and choose more books for our collection and our students,” said Ojserkis. “Next time, I’ll choose a lot more books.”