Suzanne Porth-Cotton, Ed.D. is proud to be an Lawson alumna and resident of the Lawson community and has been with the Lawson School District for 29 years. She began her post secondary studies at Northwest Missouri State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. Wanting to offer more to her students she completed her Masters in Secondary Administration from William Woods University and went on to complete her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Baker University. Serving as the Library Media Specialist and providing access to resources for the school community based on learning needs and interests has been the "icing on the cake" for Suzanne. Having the privilege to work in the Lawson R-XIV District with it's fantastic students, faculty, staff and parents IS the CAKE!

Roberta Duley, brings 12 years of experience working with our students as a paraprofessional in the Lawson R-XIV District. The last two years, working as a Librarian, she has been a tremendous aide to our students and community members in the Library Media Center (LMC). With mystery books as her "first love" Roberta is a great resource for recommendations of what to read next! Additionally, as a bonus to our patrons, she is our resident professional in all things yarn! Roberta offers free workshops in the LMC the second Saturday, October through April, with technical assistance in crochet and knitting in a warm and friendly group setting. Roberta is an integral part of the library team. Her background knowledge has been instrumental for the successful progress of our LMC. 

Since we are a Community Library we have extended evening and weekend hours to meet the needs of both our students and adult patrons. Serving the community during these hours the LMC is placed in the knowledgable hands of Barbara Sloop and Julie Pettz. Each experienced elementary teachers, they joined our team in the Fall of 2015 and brought the love of reading and children with them! Making library visitors feel welcome comes natural for Barbara and Julie. In the quiet evening Library hours you may find them striking up a spirited conversation with others and being helpful in their friendly way.

Please feel free to use the following form to contact the 5-12 Library Media Center.  Make sure to enter your email address in the form so we may return your inquiry. If your question is in regard to a student, please give their full legal name and current grade level (use the "Class" field below).

If you would prefer to speak with a staff member in person, you may also contact us by phone at (816) 580-7270 ext. 120.  Please leave a phone number in your message with any additional information that will  help us to address your inquiry. 

The following are recommended reads by some of our students. At present Raegan Weber, a 6th grader at Lawson Middle School and summer volunteer helper, has these wonderful reads to recommend to our viewers. It is our desire to encourage you to check these and other titles from our collection! Please enjoy and feel free to offer your own recommended reads to our LMC staff.
 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

By: Lemony Snicket

Review By: Raegan Weber

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series about three children Violet/the oldest, the inventor, and leader, Klaus (pronounced Clouse)/the middle child, the reader, and the plan maker, and Sunny/ the youngest, the biter, and the plan doer Baudelaire. All the villains are Count Olaf, Esme Squalor, two white faced women, a fat person who looks like a man nor a woman, a hook handed man, a long nosed man. During the thirteen books Olaf goes after the Baudelaire Fortune with his comrades for thirteen books. To me the books are Amazing! They grip you right when you read the back of the book. You can’t read the fifth book first, read it in order. The best part in the first book is when Violet is at the wedding, she signs with her left hand (she is right handed).  So Olaf can’t marry her. All the books are called:

1.  The Bad Beginning

2.   The Reptile Room

3.   The Wide Window

4.   The Miserable Mill  

5.   The Austere Academy

6.   The Ersatz Elevator

7.   The Vile Village

8.   The Hostile Hospital

9.   The Carnivorous Carnival 

10. The Slippery Slope

11. The Grim Grotto

12. The Penultimate Peril
13. The End

Isle of the Lost

By: Melissa De la Cruz

Reviewed by: Raegan Weber

                           The Isle of the Lost is the prequel to the “Disney Descendants” movie. The story starts out at the Isle of the Lost, the home to all the evil Disney villains. The main Characters are:

• Mal - the daughter to Maleficent

• Evie – the daughter of the Evil Queen

• Jay - the son of Jafar

• Carlos – the son of Cruella De Vil       

Dead City

By: James Ponti

Reviewed by: Raegan Weber

                                        Dead City is a book about the undead. Molly Bigelow is a girl whose mother has passed. Her mom used to work at the morgue and Molly used to visit her. Then, Molly starts at a new school and her life is turned upside down! Read the whole book to find out information about the Unlucky 13.

Dead City

By: James Ponti

Reviewed by: Raegan Weber

                                        Dead City is a book about the undead. Molly Bigelow is a girl whose mother has passed. Her mom used to work at the morgue and Molly used to visit her. Then, Molly starts at a new school and her life is turned upside down! Read the whole book to find out information about the Unlucky 13.

The Lawson Community and School Library is dedicated in memory of Helen Risley Williamson on November 8, 1992... 
A dedication plaque, with the following engraving, proudly hangs in the Library: 

Mrs. Williamson wanted the City of Lawson to have a new community library. A $200,000 bequeathment from the Helen Risley and T.D. Williamson Estate was dedicated to this purpose.

Working with the Lawson City Council, estate executor Stephen Nolker concluded an agreement with the Lawson R-XIV Board of Education to incorporate the community library into the school library. The result of the collaborative effort is a facility which is larger and more serviceable to students and community.

Special thanks to the 1990-91 Lawson Board of Alderman: Stephen Nolker, J.D. Shores, Larenda Dravenstott and George Green; Mayor Gerri Anderson; City Manager John Tracy; and members of the 1990-91 Lawson Board of Education: Larry Kanning, Forrest Bertoldie, David Lewis, Paul Tipton, Dennis Smithmier and Mike VanWinkle. Special recognition to this group, without their wisdom, cooperative nature and foresight, none of this would be possible.

Most particularly, thanks to the generosity and vision of Helen Risley Williamson to whom this facility is appropriately dedicated.
Steve L. Sellers
Lawson R-XIV
(former) Superintendent of Schools

               Helen Risley Williamson 1902-1991        Thomas Dudley Williamson 1899-1960 

Other community members were instrumental with their contributions to our Library...  
An additional dedication plaque, with the following engraving, proudly hangs in the Library:
 
J.S. Smith was a lifelong resident of Ray County and Lawson, Missouri. Mr. Smith was a successful farmer businessman and land developer. In addition, he was very influential in bringing new farming techniques to this area. Mr. Smith used his knowledge of farming and animal husbandry to help many area farmers improve their crop and stock production rates.

Mr. Smith was also a visionary, and recognized a need in Lawson, Missouri for a nursing home, land for that purpose was set aside. Mr. Smith's dream of a nursing home became a reality in 1977. Over the next fifteen years, the Lawson Nursing Home was operated under a lease agreement. In 1992, that changed. According to the details of the agreement Mr. Smith had worked out prior to the donation of the land, once the land was sold, the Lawson Nursing Home Association, under the direction of the current Board of Directors, would receive $45,000. The money was to be used for projects to benefit the community of Lawson, Missouri. 

In November of 1992, the Lawson Nursing Home Board of Directors met to decide how the money would be allocated. After much deliberation and thought, the directors voted a sum of $30,000 to the new Lawson Community/School Library for the purchase of books, periodicals, resource materials and equipment. On December 3, 1992, President of the Nursing Home Board of Directors, Mary VanWinkle and Board Member Jytte Klarland presented a check for the amount to Superintendent of Schools Steve Sellers and Board of Education President, Dr. Larry Kanning.

Mr. J.S. Smith and his wife Mabel were both very interested in the Lawson community. They both spent their entire lives in this area, and while they did not live to see the new Lawson Community/School Library, the $30,000 was given in their memory and honor. Recognition is given not only to J.S. and Mabel Smith, but to all of those who have served over the years on the Lawson Nursing Home Board. Particular recognition to Board President Mary VanWinkle and members: Jytte Klarland, Kenneth Dossette, Barbara Hill, Helen Monroe, Carolyn Robinson, Bob Knutter, Nick Sloop, and Fern Nolker for their insight in providing the new library with such a generous donation. 

                        Mabel Smith 1884-1976        James S. Smith 1891-1980