As school budget cuts take their toll on libraries, Central Junior High School has received a bit of relief.

Central librarian Charlotte Anderson recently learned that the National Endowment for the Humanities would be giving CJHS 15 books in the coming weeks.

The NEH began its We the People Bookshelf program in mid-2003 as part of a $100 million initiative to increase the study and understanding of American history and heritage. It selects a yearly theme related to American history, picks 15 classic books that embody that theme, and ships those books to a select group of schools. This year’s theme is courage.

“It’s hard to replace books and it’s hard to buy new books right now,” Anderson said. “Right now, we’re looking at a budget cut of possibly 50 percent, so this may be a way we have to go to get books for general use in the future. I’m certainly pleased that we received the grant, and I’m sure the books will get plenty of use.”

With a dwindling budget — one that is spent largely on replacing lost books, ordering magazines of student interest and purchasing printing supplies — Anderson said there often was little cash left to buy books. She said when the new collection arrived it would be put on display at the front of the library for the students to use.

Central is one of 500 schools that will receive the books in the coming weeks. An additional 500 schools will receive the books later this year.

“The We the People Bookshelf enables younger readers to examine the meaning of courage from many perspectives,” NEH Chairman Bruce Cole said while announcing the schools chosen for the program. “These books inspire readers with stories of characters, real and fictional, who demonstrated personal courage when faced with difficult situations and uncertain times.”