The Avon Public Library recently received a donation in the amount of $1,515 in memory of Sara Soukup. Sara was raised in rural Charles Mix county. Her mom, LouAnn Soukup, recalls that when Sara was young, she had trouble with seeing things in the distance, but could see things up close. Holding a book in front of her, Sara could easily read the page, see the pictures, and let her imagination take her anywhere. It is no wonder that she quickly fell in love with reading. After high school, Sara earned a BA in Elementary Education. After talking with a professor, she decided to work towards her Master’s Degree in Library Science. She worked as the Director of the Children’s Library in Lake Geneva, WI. Throughout her time there she worked with young children and teens alike. She loved being present in the lives of children and used her wonder and imagination to make the library a magical place for them. She has been described by library patrons as being “the heart” of the library. Her laughter and energy could be heard often throughout the library, making her love for her work obvious. Her teens found a safe place with her to share their writing and discuss books that would help them become who they are in life. Miss Sara was a constant ball of energy in the Lake Geneva community for nearly 20 years.

Sara became sick with COVID, and entered into her Savior’s arms on December 2, 2021. Sara lived with a true passion for books and learning, and shared that joy with many people through both her personal and professional life. The monetary donation given in Sara’s memory included a note, “May you use this to encourage youth to read for the fun of it.” The money will be used by the library for that exact purpose.

Thank you to Sara’s family for entrusting us to share Miss Sara’s legacy with the children of the Avon community.

Please stop in to the library to see some of our latest improvements. The library received a $10,000 grant which was used to purchase two technology embedded conference tables and two early literacy stations. A projector and screen were also purchased with these funds. The library staff is working hard to get all the books entered into our new circulation software. Recently, the library has been utilized as a monthly meeting place for a homeschool group consisting of 4-5 moms and 12+ children. They are enjoying the space to do activities, read books, and use the Early Literacy Stations.

You may now find the Avon Public Library on both Instagram (avon.publiclibrary) and Facebook.