Patrick Hamilton teachers are finding more and more of their students with their noses buried deep with the pages of a good book, thanks to the generosity of the local Elks Lodge.

In November, the members of the Dowagiac service organization made a $1,500 donation to Dowagiac Union Schools, which split the funds between the district’s four elementary buildings and middle school to purchase new books for their respective libraries.

Patrick Hamilton media specialist Donna Batty took her school’s $300 share and purchased 25 entries in “Who Was/Who Is/Where Is” series, published by Penguin Random House. The nonfiction children’s book series chronicles the life and times of historical and contemporary figures from world history, from Christopher Columbus to Michelle Obama, as well as profiles prominent places, such as of the Grand Canyon.

Whether it is because of the large caricature illustrations on the front covers, the interesting and informative writing inside or the interactive online quizzes readers can take after they finish one of the books, the series has been flying off the shelves at the school library since they came in, Batty said. In fact, one fourth-grade classroom held a monopoly on the books within the first few weeks after she purchased them.

As many of the nonfiction books at the elementary school library are old and in need of updating, the Elks’ donation came at a great time, Batty said.

“It is really exciting to be able to purchase an entire series rather than only one or two books at a time,” Batty said.

Hearing that the club’s generosity was paying off came as welcome news to Dowagiac Elks member Dick Morey, who organizes many of the club’s youth programs.

Morey, a substitute teacher, came up with the idea of supporting the district’s libraries after talking with Amanda Means, the middle school librarian, who told him the library always has more requests for books from students than its budget can support.

To help alleviate the problem, Morey and the club decided to contribute money from the Elks’ youth fund —comprised of excess proceeds from many of the club’s fundraisers — to the schools, with a $900 donation in 2015 and a $1,500 one in late 2016.

“We may not be able to purchase all the books they need, but it fills in some of the gaps.

“There is nothing we enjoy more than supporting our local youth and their families, and what better way to do that to buy books, to support what they are doing in school.”