What did you do with your college textbooks when you graduated college?

I sold mine at the University of Virginia Bookstore and took the fresh cash to a cute boutique for a new dress and to Harris Teeter for a bottle of cheap champagne to celebrate.

Too bad I had not yet become aware of Better World Books. I sure hope I would have sold, or even given, my books to them. I still could have used the extra cash on silly splendors but others, who could barely dream of a shiny new dress or enjoying a bottle of bubbley, would greatly benefit too.

Here’s just a glimpse of what our student partners have been able to support in 2011 with their used textbooks:

Many students’ efforts on campus generated funding for Books For Africa. Books For Africa recently shipped its 25 millionth book to Africa, and was given a Charity Navigator 4 star rating for the 5th consecutive year, which means you can feel well assured that the funding and books raised by our wonderful book-drivers are being put to great use.

Others chose to support Room To Read through their campus book drives. Room to Read recently distributed their 10 millionth book, and they have opened more than 12,000 libraries and 1,500 schools to date. They’re currently opening libraries in South Asia and Africa at a rate of 6 per day. If you have not yet read the story of how Room To Read got started, it’s very inspiring and available here. Two lucky, passionate, hard-working college book drive leaders will win the trip of a lifetime this summer to come with Better World Books and Room To Read to visit their projects in the developing world!

With Worldfund’s 10th Anniversary quickly approaching, they have already invested more than $12 million in Latin America, with a focus on intensive training programs for public school teachers. Worldfund is currently impacting 340,000 children every year with their teacher training efforts in Mexico and Brazil. The top-generating book drive leaders from last school year were awarded a trip with Better World Books and Worldfund to South America this summer. Check out their life-changing experience in this video.

College (and even high school) students all over the country have started clubs to help end a war in Central Africa with Invisible Children. Thanks to our partnership with the peace-makers, filmmakers and educators, Better World Book Drives are supporting Invisible Children’s Legacy Scholarship Program which is providing 590 secondary and 195 university students in Northern Uganda with educational scholarships and dedicated mentors. The fundraising efforts of people like you have resulted in more than $1 million raised by Invisible Children this year. Make sure to check out their latest Book Drive video here.

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) and Better World Books recently awarded 20 mini grants to schools, libraries, and community-based organizations. These grants will help fund their literacy efforts, many of which target at-risk populations in the United States. In 2012, NCFL and Better World Books will be offering $10,000 grants for library literacy programs that support family literacy. Here’s a video about one family that has greatly benefited from your support.

In 2011, Better World Books officially became a Book for Book™ company. Without our amazing student book drivers (and all book donors) we could not match each book purchase with a donation to someone in need via Books for Africa and Feed The Children. There are teenagers in the United States who make it all the way to high school without ever owning a book. Meet Zachariah here, and see how you helped change his life for the better.

We want to send a giant virtual thank-you hug to all of our campus book drivers, and all book donors, for your support. We’d also love to hear your stories and see your photos. Please share by commenting below or by posting on our Facebook & Twitter pages.

Want to get even closer to making a massive difference like Bill Gates? You can with one click. Simply share Better World Books with your friends. For each new “like” and “follow” on Facebook and Twitter, we donate another book to a child in need via Feed The Children.

Finally, it’s time to BUY your textbooks and Better World Books has almost every one you need for up to 90% off! Plus, each one of your book purchases powers a book donation! Thank you and happy 2012!