A collection of books is being sent as a gift from Mercyhurst University to the children’s library at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The hope for the book donation is to serve as a form of healing for those children and others that have been affected by the mass shooting that took place in mid-December.

The donation is also being placed in memory of the school psychologist, Mary Sherlach, whose daughter, Katy, was a 2009 graduate of Mercyhurst. The donations being sent from campus exemplify the support that comes along with being a member of the Laker community.Contributed photo: Janet Lexow, who headed the process, gathered $500 worth of books for Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Janet Lexow, director of the Ridge Library at the North East campus, headed this donation process and made it her goal to express her support.

“As members of the Mercyhurst University community, with a Catholic and Mercy mission to higher education, our connection to this tragedy through one of our own is very strong,” Lexow said.

Numerous individuals and groups donated books totaling 50 books with a value of more than $500.

Of those groups, donors include Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and faculty member, Jennifer Burke, who is the assistant professor of education at North East.

Many titles of the soon-to-be donated books deal with ways of coping with grief and loss from a child’s point of view.

Darci Jones, director of university libraries and distance learning, applauds her colleague, Lexow, for the compassionate work that has gone into this donation to Sandy Hook.

“Janet’s compassion and healing natures served as the driving force behind this gift,” Jones said.

Mercyhurst is not the only college or university that has made an effort to donate books. Other schools have also taken the initiative, such as Slippery Rock University, Carnegie Mellon University, as well as other schools in the area and in other states.

A memorial bookplate from the university will be added to each book before they are sent to Sandy Hook Elementary School.

For questions, contact Lexow at jlexow@mercyhurst.edu or via phone at (814)-725-6326.