CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – Two Chesterfield educators are hoping to expand access to library books during virtual learning through a new project.

Kristin Thrower, a librarian at Meadowbrook High School, and Lisa Signorelli, a reading specialist at Falling Creek Middle School travel to different Chesterfield neighborhoods each week distributing free books to students.

“We’re using our own vehicles, and we drive into different communities. We were doing it twice on odd days,” Signorelli told 8News.

Signorelli unloads books for a bookmobile on November 5.

The pair were inspired after reconnecting at a book giveaway back in September and noticing their love for the same novel.

“I read the book – the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – and it takes place in Kentucky in the 1930’s,” Signorelli said. “She was a pack mule librarian, and she would go on her mule with all her books and she would visit all the families up in the Appalachian Mountains. Because of that, I fell in love with the idea of giving books to kids .”

Thrower, who explains she has always had a love for books, has high hopes for the project.

“I hope it accomplishes one – that the community knows that we care about them,” Thrower said. “That our students are extremely important to us. Also, I would love if someone who didn’t like to read ended being a reader because of this.”

Thrower puts final touches on a bookmobile November 5.

The pair has distributed more than 450 free books so far. All of them are donated and students can take as many as they can carry.

“We went to Falling Creek Apartments, and literally it was like Christmas,” Signorelli said. “They were just grabbing because we don’t have a set limit.”

While the rest of Chesterfield students head back to in-person classes next week, Signorelli says the bookmobiles will continue on Wednesdays.

The Bookmobile schedule can be found here.

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