Boy Scout makes donation to ML library

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Public Library has a couple of new items thanks to the work of one Moses Lake Boy Scout.

Jared Wood, 15, recently made a return box and five shelves for the library as part of his Eagle Scout project. Wood has been a Boy Scout since he was about 11 and is currently working on earning his Eagle Scout rank.

Completing an Eagle Scout project is just one of the things he has to do before earning that rank, Wood said.

He said he wanted the library to benefit from his project because of all the time he spent there as a kid.

"My mom used to work here, so this is the first place we thought of," he said.

Librarians told Wood they were in need of a new return box for DVDs and audio books.

"They showed me the drop box, it was cardboard box tops taped together," said Wood. "It was functional, but wasn't that nice."

Wood decided he would make the library a permanent return box out of wood.

Library staff also told Wood they needed more shelves for audio books, so he decided to tackle that too.

Wood said he put about 130 hours into making the return box and shelves for the library, working on the project after school and on weekends. He started the work last October and was able to bring the finished products to the library just after Christmas.

His dad, Joe Wood, and members of his Boy Scout troop, Troop 96, also pitched in during the course of the project, he said.

Alli Stewart, who works at the library, said Wood's handcrafted box is a major improvement over the old one.

"A lot of patrons like to check out DVDS, and people have commented that it's easier to know where to turn things in now if we're busy or away from the desk," she said.

Librarian Vicky Skane said the new box helps reduce the number of DVDs and audio books that go missing. The box is semi-enclosed so people can't see what's in it or reach behind the box to take its contents, she said.

Skane said she appreciates how much work Wood had to do to complete the project.

"I was shocked how much work was entailed," she said.

Wood said he had to first get his project approved by the Eagle Scout board. Then he approached the Friends of the Library group about his project, he said.

The group ended up making a donation to Wood so he could purchase all the materials needed for the project.

His mom, Lora Wood, said the project was about more than just learning how to craft things from wood.

"It's quite a process, all the planning for the project then presenting it to the Eagle board and the Friends of the Library group," she said. "He also showed some leadership skills when he had to direct his troop members during the parts they helped him."

Wood said it made him happy to know his project is making things easier for library staff.

"It was an exciting project for me," he said. "I felt pretty accomplished at the end."