Thirteen years following the tragic passing of beloved Syracuse-area teacher-librarian Lori Bresnahan, Liverpool teen Jack Walsh continues sharing her passion for children literature through his Eagle Scout Service Project.
Working in partnership with the Liverpool Central School District and Liverpool Public Library, Walsh designed and built 13 custom teal bookshelves to celebrate Bresnahan’s legacy and provide a permanent home for books that encourage children to have a love of reading.
Bresnahan, who lost her life in 2013, was known by the community for her passion of connecting children with books. A year following her passing, the Liverpool Central School District’s teacher-librarians established the Bresnahan Book Award to honor her lifelong love of literature. Now, every two years, kids across the district’s elementary schools vote for their favorite book from the New York State Librarian Association’s Charlotte Award nominees to receive the Bresnahan Book Award.
Walsh’s Eagle Scout Service Project brought to life part of the initial vision for the award that had yet to be completed. According to the Liverpool Central School District, “When the Bresnahan Book Award was created by the [district’s] library media specialists in 2014, one of their goals was to add a teal bookcase in each elementary school library as well as one at the Liverpool Public Library.”
With the help of friends and family, Walsh was able to make that vision a reality and constructed 13 bookshelves in Bresnahan’s favorite color, teal. Twelve of the bookshelves were built for the school district, with one serving as the home of the Bresnahan Book Award winners. The thirteenth bookshelf was placed at the Liverpool Public Library.
Walsh’s project demonstrates the values all Eagle Scouts learn in Scouting America, including identifying meaningful community needs and developing a solution that continues to serve others long after the project is complete. Through hundreds of hours of planning, coordination, and construction, Walsh created a tribute that not only honors Bresnahan’s memory but continues her passion of sharing literature with children.