By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

BATAVIA - The Batavia Branch of the Clermont County Public Library was hardly quiet on a recent Thursday night.

More than 45 elementary schoolchildren and their parents sang, laughed and danced a little in the library's children's area.

And that's exactly how Allen Moellmann, principal of Batavia Elementary School, and assistant principal Randy Willis want it. One night each month, the two bring out their guitars, a couple of books and perform "Live at the Library.""It's an opportunity for them to see us in a different light, and it gets people out to the library and promotes literacy," said Willis, who has been playing the guitar for 28 years.

This is the first year the two have put on the 45-minute concerts. Two years ago, Willis encouraged Moellmann to learn to play the guitar.

"He said, 'I've seen you type, and if you can type, you can play guitar,'" Moellmann said. "Now, I practice every night. It's relaxing."

And it's become a great teaching tool.

"We have a lot of parents come and say it's been years since they've been in here, and they leave with lots of children's books," Willis said.

Lori Evans of Batavia brought her four children, Jacob, 11, Caleb, 9, Colin, 8, and Drake, 5, after they saw a flier.

"My favorite was the music with no words," Caleb said, referring to the principals' duet of "Greensleeves."

The concerts are not just for the children. Willis entertains the parents with a few Beatles tunes and other classics.

"We'd like for it to become a community thing. The more the merrier," Willis said.

At the December event, Batavia Superintendent Gary Brooks was a special sing-along guest for "Frosty the Snowman."

"I think these guys are unbelievably dedicated and wonderfully talented, and the kids love them," Brooks said. "They engage the kids so well, and they use the same great reading techniques that their teachers use in the classroom."

Moellmann and Willis say using music to educate makes sense.

"How do kids learn the alphabet? Through a song," Moellmann said.

"The words of some songs are educational. They teach rhyming and vocabulary," Willis said. "Music is important, and I think research indicates, especially for elementary students, that it helps them understand rhythm and improves memory. And they have a lot of fun, too."

The next "Live at the Library'' concert is 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Batavia Public Library, 180 S. Third St., Batavia. Information: 732-2128.

E-mail kvance@fuse.net