"Book em" Used Book Drive this August

This information is directly from an email I received from the City of Fresno

In order to increase literacy in Fresno County by providing reading material to needy students the Fresno City Attorney’s Office is participating in the Fresno County Bar “Book ‘Em” Book Drive. The Drive  lasts through the month of August.  It is time to go through your house, garage, kids’ closets, and attic and see if you can contribute to the effort.

When:  Books will be collected from August 1 to August 31.

Where:  Drop off books in the boxes provided in the reception area of the City Attorney’s Office, 2^nd Floor, City Hall, between the hours of 8-12 and 1-5 each weekday.

Who:  Anyone may donate books. 

What:  New books are great but the focus will be gently used books.  We are looking for books from pre-readers to material appropriate for high school readers. Three different boxes are provided, divided for age appropriate books. Donations may include books, high end periodicals, and books on CD. Foreign language books, especially Spanish, are welcomed, too.

Why:  Because it gives you the opportunity to make a difference in our community. 
Books will be donated to children in need. Fresno County has high illiteracy well              above the national average.  Fresno has a high percentage of homes with plenty of children but no books for them.  If we want to produce a generation of readers we need to give them the tools to learn to read.  We need to collect books from those with a surplus and move them to those with none. This project meets a real and immediate need of the community.

Literacy remains one of the biggest concerns in the Central Valley.  Of course a fundamental starting point for creating a culture of reading is having books to read.  The number of homes in Fresno County with no books for kids is shockingly high.  It is ridiculous for us to talk about supporting a culture of reading when the basic necessary resources are lacking.  It is not just the homes that lack books, a very high percentage of the schools in Fresno County have libraries that are woefully low on books for kids.  The point of this book drive is to address those needs directly. The books you contribute will end up in the hands of the neediest kids in Fresno County. 

Over 90% of the law offices in Fresno County have agreed to participate in this program and we want the City of Fresno to shine when the number of books given is totaled up.  

For more information, contact Doug Sloan, douglass@fresno.gov or 621-7524.