Two Old School Buses Renovated into Libraries for Young Readers
Students at Imagine South Lake Charter School will now head to the parking lot to choose their favorite library book. The school has transformed two old school buses into a library on wheels for young readers. The highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by the South Lake Chamber of Commerce, was held on May 15, 2023.
The school partnered with the Hauff Company, a custom home builder from Groveland, Florida, to retrofit the buses. The concept was conceived years ago by the school’s PTO leadership, however, the entire community played a crucial role in the endeavor, as the project was made possible through fundraising dollars.
“The Imagine South Lake Charter Library Bus project is a testament to our commitment to education and community involvement, ” said Jeremy Hauff, owner of The Hauff Company. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Imagine South Lake Charter School and contribute to the development of this extraordinary initiative that will have an enduring and positive impact on the students’ educational journeys.”
The two buses – named Journey to Imagination and Imagination Station – will provide separate library spaces for kindergarten through third grade students, and fourth through eighth grade students. The Hauff Company incorporated special touches to create a truly unique and innovative space. They took out all the seats and replaced them with rows of bookshelves that will house a plethora of children’s books. There are comfortable benches for reading with pillows and rugs. The buses were also painted with colorful hand prints of the students on the outside.
“We are so proud of the collaborative effort made by all to make this vision a reality for our students,” said Imagine South Lake Charter principal Jennifer Wesner. “Our hope is that the new buses will provide students a fun space to connect with books and inspire a love for reading throughout the campus.”