Success Stories -- Nicholas Acampora

Nicholas Acampora, the 8-year-old son of Paul Acampora, director of development, made the case for state funding of libraries in the April 22 Philadelphia Inquirer.

Nicholas is an experienced library patron. He posts a book report each month on his website, www.geocities.com/
gondirish2016/index.html.

A few weeks ago, his father talked with him about the state’s proposal to cut public library funding, and they decided to write a letter to Governor Rendell. Not long after, they went to the ribbon-cutting for the new wing of the James A. Michener Branch of the Bucks County Free Library System near Quakertown, where they live.

And there was Inquirer reporter Nancy Petersen, working on one piece of a statewide story on the effect of library cutbacks.
She was interviewing the usual suspects when Nicholas happened to overhear her. He strode over and told her his opinion of state funding cuts.

“ I don’t like it at all,” he said. “They will get less books, less librarians, and no special programs.”

That’s what reporters like: a short, punchy statement, no big words, from a photogenic small boy.

“He was so bright and so articulate about the issues and so dismayed over their impact that I decided he had to lead the story,” Petersen said.