As a Watkins Elementary School parent, John Edwards could see the school library needed rejuvenation. As an architect, Edwards was able to create just what the space needed. The School Libraries Project, an initiative of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation to revitalize eight public school libraries, was a perfect opportunity for Edwards to help his child’s school.

“Because I’m there every morning dropping off my kid, I’m able to see what’s important,” says Edwards, an architect at DC firm Bonstra Haresign Architects.

This summer, using a design created by Edwards, the School Libraries Project is doubling the size of the Watkins library, making the space more user-friendly for kids of various ages, and creating a visual appeal to students and teachers to come explore the already strong collection of books.

The new library will have a cozy story-time nook, an area for computer-assisted research, and space to accommodate two classrooms of students at a time – important in a school of 530 students.

In addition to being larger and more functional, “we wanted to make it a much more enjoyable, inviting space,” says Edwards. “It should turn out beautifully.”

The Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s Todd Cymrot, who is a project co-chair and the point person for construction, is doing a fantastic job guiding projects at five Capitol Hill schools this summer, Edwards says. Capitol Hill Cluster School parent Suzanne Wells is the project’s other co-chair.

Finally, Watkins was lucky to already have an experienced, dedicated librarian, Deborah Hensley. “She has been part of the team from the beginning,” Edwards says. Although a tight budget forced some cuts to the design, Hensley’s expertise allowed her to preserve its most important aspects. For example, the team sacrificed fancy lighting in order to retain the large doors that can open up and complete the space across the breadth of the school.

Edwards learned about the School Libraries Project two summers ago when the Washington Architectural Foundation approached firms to redesign libraries at Brent, Ludlow-Taylor, Stuart-Hobson, Watkins, Peabody, Payne, Tyler and Maury.

The idea was generated by PTA leaders and principals of the eight schools and concerned citizens who joined together to find ways to help all their students instead of fighting for resources. At that time, the libraries were dilapidated, seriously understocked and for the most part, underutilized. (In fact, some were closed.) All desperately needed updates to their book collections and technology.

By this fall, all eight will have renovated libraries and be staffed with library media specialists. Brent, Ludlow-Taylor and Stuart-Hobson were renovated first. The rest will be renovated by the time the kids return to school in late August.

Last summer’s renovation at Stuart-Hobson Middle School transformed the space and students’ attitudes, says Janice MacKinnon, the certified library media specialist there. “One of the features that is special about this year’s experience with the library is the students reaction and how they have taken responsibility for what they have been given by our community,” MacKinnon wrote. “Based upon the significant numbers of students who come to the library during lunch and recess breaks, they clearly regard the library as a relaxing and enriching place to be. That is the biggest accomplishment this year!!! I feel every library should aspire to accomplish this result.”

So far, 96 percent of the $2.48 million needed to cover the cost of the eight renovations has been collected. Donations have come from individual donors, as well as the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, Philip Graham Fund, Meyer Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, Citigroup Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Stanton Development, Arcana Foundation, UPS Foundation and Hattie M. Strong Foundation. Help has also come from DC Public Schools and federal appropriations.