(From left) Claudette Tennant, Marty Casey, Dr. Susan Villaume and Dr. Alyson Whyte celebrate the opening of the Sun Belt Writing Project library.

While perusing the shelves of the newly-dedicated Sun Belt Writing Project library, Dr. Susan Villaume found a number of titles that brought back a flood of memories.

A copy of "And With a Light Touch: Learning About Reading, Writing, and Teaching With First Graders,'' momentarily transported Villaume back to her days as an elementary school teacher and reading education professor.

"I look over at this circulating library and actually recognize some of the books,'' said Villaume, associate dean of academic affairs and certification officer for the College of Education. " And With a Light Touch' ... I used that back a hundred years ago.''

Dr. Alyson Whyte, director of the Sun Belt Writing Project, expects the books contained in a specially designated section of the college's Learning Resources Center to become indispensable resources for teacher consultants. A $4,000 gift from the College of Education's Dean's Circle and the tireless work of Sun Belt Writing Project team members Marty Casey and Claudette Tennant led to the creation of the library, which opened on May 6. Whyte said federal funding will allow annual updates to the library.

"Marty and Claudette have spent untold hours building this collection,'' Whyte said. "The LRC has helped them turn it into a shelved special collection for teacher leaders.''

A $4,000 gift from the Dean's Circle facilitated the creation of the library.

Casey, a kindergarten teacher at Beulah Elementary School, serves as the Sun Belt Writing Project's open-enrollment programs elementary specialist. Tennant, an academic advisor in Auburn University's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, serves as the Sun Belt Writing Projects congressional liaison and is on track to complete a teaching credential in English language arts education. Casey and Tennant received certificates of recognition from Villaume.

Founded in 1981 as an outreach program of the College of Education and an extension of the National Writing Project  , the Sun Belt Writing Project works to promote student achievement by improving the teaching of learning of writing in grades K-12. The program follows of model of teachers-teaching-teachers best practices.