E.K. Powe unveils new library, courtesy of Target

Last year, students at Durham’s E.K. Powe Elementary School were asked to draw what an ideal library would look like. With a renovation of the facilities now complete, some of their ideas became a reality Friday.

E.K. Powe unveiled its remodeled library and media center Friday, the funding for which was provided by Target and The Heart of America Foundation as a part of the Target School Library Makeovers program.The makeover is part of a national campaign by the two organizations that seeks to overhaul libraries in order to promote literacy.

E.K. Powe, one of 32 schools across the country selected for a makeover, received 2,000 books for its library as well as new computers, furniture, shelves, flooring, paint and an eco-friendly design.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of this community, which includes Target and Heart of America,” said E.K. Powe Principal Jeanne Bishop. “The children are very excited [about the new facilities].”

Duke has several partnerships with E.K. Powe through the Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, including sponsoring 30 incoming kindergartners in the Stepping Stones program, a free two-week, transition-to-school summer program for incoming kindergartners with little or no preschool experience. Duke also participates in several student tutoring programs at E.K. Powe.

The Durham community also made the project possible through donations and discounted pricing on the renovations. For example, Paragon and Smith Systems provided green-certified furniture as one of several efforts to make the project eco-friendly.

Since 2007, when the Target School Library Makeovers program was launched, Target has worked with more than 2,000 school libraries and donated more than 1 million books.

Since 1946, Target has donated 5 percent of its income to charity, which currently amounts to $3 million a week, said Target representative Joshua Thomas, who called the company’s commitment to education a cornerstone of its charitable efforts.