The Lady Lake Library has donated a record-breaking 26 backpacks filled with more than 1,000 school supplies to The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake, as part of its annual “School Supplies for Fines” initiative.

(Pictured left to right: Kourtney Fehr, Youth Library Assistant; Aly Herman, Library Director; and Mary Shaner, Bookkeeper for The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake.)

The program, which allows patrons to have their library fines forgiven in exchange for school supply donations, also erased $791.55 in fines this year. Collected items included notebooks, pens, glue, Clorox wipes, headphones, and tissues.

“The school was incredibly grateful and so are we,” says Library Director Aly Herman. “We’d like to thank our community for helping us give back in such a meaningful way.”

The don

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