This article about a school library has been all over my Facebook feed this week and I decided to share on here for those of you who may not have seen it.
There's a school in Nevada that hasn't had a working library for about a decade; they haven't had any new books for eight years. None. Not one. I have a hard time fathoming that. I was fortunate with my school libraries and am fortunate now with my local libraries. They had/have budget issues but there are always new materials. Now, this school's library is being restarted and they need books, movies, and music. From the article -
We need racially diverse books. We need graphic novels. We need women’s studies. We need science. We need series. We need film. We need comics. We need music. We need biographies of important people. Looking for Young Adult. Classics. We want zines! Contemporary. Poetry. Everything that would make a difference in a young person’s life. Writers send us YOUR BOOK.
They have an Amazon wish list, or you can send them something that you think will spark a teen's mind, have relevance to them. It can be brand new or a gently loved item from your own collection. Please, nothing in poor shape. Don't send them your trash.
I've gone through my collection of unsolicited YA review books and will be shipping them out, probably on Monday. Want to save some money on shipping and you're in the US? Check out the postal service's media mail option. It's how I send books. It can take several weeks to ship but it can be significantly cheaper than shipping first class.
Also, I love that the students have a say in the new library and are an active part of designing the space. How awesome is that? Their input is wanted and solicited and they'll be more invested in using and taking care of the space. Just wonderful. <3
ETA: All the information you need about the school and donating can be found in the original article, here.
A final word from the article -
So here’s what I’m asking. Will you donate a book? A real book. Something literary or fun—something that speaks to your truth, their truths. Something that teaches them something about the world. Makes them feel less alone?
I’m not asking for money. I’m asking for you to send a new book or film or cd to us to help us build a library we can be proud of. Just one book.
I have seen this and have really loved the response and that the children themselves are involved in the library planning. I'll definitely have to check out the amazon wishlist.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem to be getting a great response. I hope the library succeeds and is around for a long time, with a regular influx of new materials.
DeleteWow, that's neat. I had not seen this but will check out that wishlist and go through my stuff too. Thanx for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg! :)
DeleteI'm probably overlooking it, but what is the school and where is it? How do you know where to send things?
ReplyDeleteIt's in the original article that I linked to in my post. https://throwingchanclas.com/2016/06/07/just-one-book/ That article contains all of the information you need.
DeleteI saw this on Facebook, and I'm thinking of donating. I know they've already gotten a bunch of books, but they could always use more, right? What they can't fit on the shelves, maybe they can give to the kids.
ReplyDeleteThey have gotten a bunch but I'm sure more wouldn't hurt. :)
DeleteThanks for sharing this Bea! I will definitely check out the wishlist and go through my own books. If there was ever a time to clean out some books that aren't getting read, I think this would be it! I can't imagine not having a school library, it's where I lived in school!
ReplyDeleteI lived at mine too, and the local libraries. I hope they can keep this one running, it's so important for the kids.
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