WESTBROOK — A donation from a local bank will help replace school library books after four times as many have gone missing this year than in previous school years, Superintendent Peter Lancia said.

A $4,027 donations from Saco Biddeford Savings Bank will help replenish school shelves, Lancia said.

School library books get lost each year, but the pandemic and remote learning has exacerbated the problem, Canal School librarian Susie Brown said. At Canal, just over 100 books have not been returned, she said.

“It is also of note that here at Canal we sent home two additional library books per student when we abruptly went remote in March, and because the buildings were shut down, book returns did not even begin to happen until our end-of-year pick-up/drop-off day in June.”

Brown said the donation could mean an additional 200 to 400 books in the district.

“Students in each school have not had typical library class rotations this year and it has taken longer to get our books back. We are very grateful that Saco and Biddeford Savings has donated money to our district,” high school librarian Elizabeth Andersen said.

Lancia said lost books are more of an issue at the elementary schools, and he encourages parents to check under their couches or through the house for books with the Westbrook school stamp inside.

“Our resources are limited, we want to make sure that our libraries are well stocked with current material and books that will help kids with classes,” Lancia said.

“We are appreciative of our relationship with the folks at the school department and help them where we can,” Bank Director of Administration Jeff Vachon said.