Golden Apple: Pequot Lakes Students Check Out More Than Just Books At School Library

A new project at Pequot Lakes High School is allowing students to check out more than just books at their library. A new fashion library offers career and formal wear for students who do not want to go out and spend money on new clothes for a one-time event.

In the New York Public Library system, a new concept was started called the Career Closet. When Sheri Levasseur moved to Pequot Lakes from her job at the New York Public Library, she thought, why not bring that idea with her?

“I saw a story about offering a new convenience for their patrons called the Career Closet, so it’s to help people who are starting out at their job interviews, go in with something professional to wear, and I thought, ‘I wonder if we could make something like this work in our school district?’” said Sheri Levasseur, Pequot Lakes Schools teacher and librarian.

With the help of community donations, the Pequot Lakes Fashion Library was born.

“Students, if they need some kind of formal wear whether it’s for the prom or a concert or a job interview, they can just come in here and they can look at what the library has to offer, and then they just check it out just like if they were to check out a book,” explained Angie Klein, Pequot Lakes High School speech coach.

The Fashion Library has been useful for students going to job interviews, prom, and also academic events like speech meets.

“It’s awesome as a parent to be able to say, ‘hey, my kid needs this for just this one day,’ and not having to go out and spend that ridiculous dollar amount to buy something they’re never going to wear again,” added Brittany Borntrager, Pequot Lakes Schools PTA member.

It was important for school administrators that students not feel like they can’t participate in something because they don’t have the right clothes to wear.

“It’s the little things. A student feeling like they don’t fit in because they don’t have the right clothes to wear,” said Klein. “And we kind of alleviate that obstacle for them by offering this service”

“It’s hard when you don’t have the money to buy the things, so this just makes it so much nicer,” Pequot Lakes High School student Necole Lyons. “It gives people the opportunity to wear something nice.”

With the community’s help, they hope to grow the Fashion Library even more in the future.

“I’m hoping to keep the idea around and share the idea with other schools because the feedback that we’ve had is, ‘oh ,this is such a cool idea.’ It’s such a simple thing to follow through on,” said Levasseur. “So I’m hoping that other schools too will consider serving like this.”