Try reading this short story and closing your eyes to think about it:

Imagine you are four years old. Your parents farm the food you eat every day. You sing songs and dance in joy around your fruitful village with your many siblings. Life is good.

Now you’re five years old. You just started primary school and are so excited to get a freshly pressed pink and blue uniform, books and a composition notepad. You walk home from school with a smile on your face. Your mother looks frightened. She stumbles through your sack of clothes and sends you off to sleep in the jungle. You are too scared to sleep.

For five years you walk to school, never getting a new book or uniform again. Each night you hide in the jungle, fearing that you will be kidnaped and forced to attack your family, become a sex slave or to do whatever the rebels ask of you. This is the only life you could ever see for yourself.

Fast forward ten more years. You are now 20 years old and you are about to graduate from University with a degree in Accounting. You have a fresh pressed uniform again, loads of books, and control of your future. Your life has completely changed.

What happened?

Watch Agnes’s story to find out.

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!

He’s in the 9th grade. He and his mom were recently evicted from their home. He began this year on a 5th grade reading level. But thanks to you, Zachariah has hope – and a huge smile to boot.

Thanks to a partnership between Better World Books and Feed The Children, Zachariah now owns his very first book. Feed The Children does not only focus on feeding the literal hunger of children and families across America and worldwide, but also supporting healthy minds. With the help of Better World Books book donations, Feed The Children has distributed over 500,000 backpacks full of school supplies.

Zachariah’s success story would not be possible without you. Each time you donate or buy a book with Better World Books, students like Zachariah are given more opportunities to learn and grow.

Read more about how we met Zachariah.

A couple of months ago I wrote a blog called “Feeding Minds” in which I shared the eye & heart opening experience of filming the literacy success stories of our partner Feed The Children. These amazing stories were made possible only with your help – every time you donate and buy books with us.

In it, I introduced you to a number of students from Oklahoma who have gained access to their own books and even learned to love reading and to appreciate their education as a way out of poverty. I promised to share videos with you of these remarkable young Americans and am so glad to introduce you to Zachariah. I’ll let him and his teacher, Mrs. Feldman, tell you the their story…

What encouragement would you like to give students out there like Zachariah and teachers like Mrs. Feldman? Thanks for sharing your thoughts below.

This year, our literacy partners at Invisible Children are proclaiming that the “The holiday spirit is the human connection”. Through their latest holiday campaign, they are helping to illustrate that with every purchase we make this year, we can choose to positively impact someone’s life – a concept very close to our hearts at Better World Books – and the foundation on which our entire business is based.

As a triple-bottom-line social enterprise, it is embedded into our mission, vision and even by-laws that we work towards the betterment of people and planet – not only profit. We are passionate about sharing our story with people like you to further the wave of conscious consumerism.

Today, you don’t only need to donate or volunteer to make an impact, you can simply be thoughtful about where you buy things you already need. For example, every time you buy a book with us, organizations like Invisible Children get funding – plus we donate a book to a student in need. Book for Book.

Better World Books is glad to be one such company and honored to take part in a Twitter movement this holiday season based around the ideas of extra thoughtful giving – #GiveDifferent.

You can tune into #GiveDifferent on Twitter to learn about like-minded social enterprises, triple-bottom-line companies and non-profits with successful business models where giving is built in.

Here are a few pre-crafted messages to get started, shared with help from #GiveDifferent founder Whitney at @NEXTforWomen:

We are honored to carry many of the meaningful titles we stock at Better World Books and one of those that means the most to us is What You Wish For, a special book full of a collection of the world’s best-selling and honored writers for young adults and children. The authors share stories and poems that captivate, inspire, and offer hope about things we all wish for. Together with Darfur advocate and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, who wrote the book’s moving Foreword, they contributed to this amazing collection for free so that the proceeds could be used to fund libraries in Darfuri refugee camps in Chad.

The £100,000 matching fund will only be secured if Room to Read can raise £100,000 online between 5th and 9th December.

Room to Read has an ambitious goal to fund 20 new local language children’s titles.  Here’s how your donation could make a big impact during The Big Give Christmas Challenge:

• £25 is doubled to £50, which could provide 100 colourful, engaging and culturally relevant local language books to inspire children to develop a lifelong habit of reading
• £50 is doubled to £100, which could commission the services of a local author to write bright and appealing new books for their country’s children
• £125 is doubled to £250, which could provide a whole bookcase of local language books at three schools in Asia or Africa, giving hundreds more children access to books written in their own language

If you want to help Room to Read satisfy, and fuel, many more students’ thirst for engaging literature by supporting the publication of 20 new local language books, please follow these simple steps:

1. Click here to “Like” Room to Read’s Facebook page for The Big Give, and receive reminders and updates about the campaign.
2. Click here to donate online at 10am today, (or as soon as possible). A limited amount of the match fund is available each day, and donations up to £5,000 will be matched until the fund runs out. Further match funds will be released at 10am each day until 9th December.

Each time you tell a friend about us, donate a pre-loved book to us, or buy a book from us, people like Beatrice, below, benefit.

Our wonderful partners at Invisible Children are happy to share an example of their work with our funds through the spotlight story below. We hope you are inspired!

Mentor Spotlight: Beatrice

What Invisible Children is Reading Right Now

In the words of Bethany, an LSP supporter AND Invisible Children employee:
“In reading again the stories of those that fought for the freedom of slaves I am honored all over again to be in a movement of so many working parts. It takes everyone; from those speaking, to those writing to those simply dwelling on the possibilities and supporting the movement in any way possible. This history book is not facts and quotes, it is a story of real people, real circumstances and real life inspiration. I have never been more proud of this calling.”Do you mentor anyone through education? What are your hopes for your mentees? Do you have great book recommendations for the incredible staff, volunteers and donors of Invisible Children? Please share below!

Dear stellar students, the following is an exciting update from your campus reps at BWB.

We want you to put us to work at the warehouse of our partner, Books for Africa, so we can provide some much needed (wo)manpower in support of their efforts to end the book famine in Africa.

Now that Halloween is over, it feels like the remaining holidays for 2011 are rushing in to take its place. On November 1st I heard Christmas music playing in a sandwich shop and it seems like there are even more commercials on TV reminding you to go out and shop, shop, shop. As we still have some breathing room before the holidays arrive, it’s important to take a moment to stop and reflect on what we can all do to help others in need.

The Better World Books On Campus Team has definitely been thinking about this and we want to let you know about our November service project. (Read carefully because you play a very important part in the plan!)

Here’s the deal: if we receive 3,000 cartons of books from our student group and bookstore friends by November 30th, our entire campus team here at Better World Books will spend an afternoon volunteering in the Books for Africa warehouse. Send us a total of 5,000 cartons, and we’ll all volunteer for an entire day (that’s 56 volunteer hours!).

What do these numbers mean? Right now we’re a little over a third of the way to our 3,000 box target. If we can hit this target, we can not only donate our time, but these books can generate $16,000 to support Better World Books’ non-profit literacy partners with over 4,000 books being donated directly to Books For Africa.

If we can go beyond this and rise to the challenge of sending in 5,000 boxes then we can generate $26,000 in funding for worldwide literacy and 6,000 books in donations.

We’re counting on your support! If you have any questions, or if you need any help with supplies or shipping, please don’t hesitate to call or email your Account Executive. And be sure to check as the numbers rise on Facebook and Twitter every Monday before November 30th.

Here is an amazing example of where many of you have decided to help make a difference through raising books. Hope you are as excited and encouraged by this video from our friends at Invisible Children as we are. Please share widely!

The $500 mini-grants were awarded to 20 schools, libraries and community-based organizations that submitted innovative ideas for adopting and using Wonderoplis with the families in their existing programs. Most target at-risk populations, including a program for children whose parents are in prison.

There is tremendous variety in the programs – from elementary schools to gifted programs to school-to-home outreach. These programs, urban and rural, reach more than 2,600 students and their families in 11 states.

Winning applications range from creating mock trials and editing video footage on iMovie that can be posted online and shared with other students, to making a Wonderopolis quilt, to creating a blog to post student videos and photos.

The mini-grants will help personalize Wonderopolis for families in their programs and communities. Further expanding the impact, the grants also will give other programs and communities ideas for how to maximize the use of Wonderopolis.

This is the latest partnership effort between NCFL and Better World Books, which began in 2005.

Congrats to the winners

The winners, listed by state, are:

• Arizona: Sopori Elementary School in Sahuarita
• Arkansas: Centers for Youth and Families in Little Rock
• California: Leonardo da Vinci Health Sciences Charter School in Chula Vista, Fremont Adult School CBET Family Literacy in Fremont, Knights Landing, Children’s Center in Knights Landing, Long Beach Unified School District in Long Beach, Grand View Boulevard Elementary in Los Angeles and Gompers Middle School in Los Angeles
• Indiana: Brownsburg Public Library in Brownsburg
• Iowa: Williamsburg Public Library in Williamsburg
• Kentucky: Jefferson County Board of Education (Family Education) in Louisville, McNabb Elementary School in Paducah and Pleasant View Elementary School in Williamsburg

What do you wonder about? Post a comment below and we will share it with Wonderopolis!

The Prison Book Program gets books into the hands of prison inmates, who often lack any educational resources. As a grassroots organization operating on a shoestring budget, the organization’s partnership with Better World Books has has been essential–providing a stable source of funding.Prison Book Program was delighted to represent Better World Books at the third annual Boston Book Festival Saturday, October 15.The festival took place on historic Copley Square, in the center of downtown Boston, near iconic (and literary) landmarks such as the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church.  Dozens of authors led discussion panels, and signed their books for an estimated crowd of 30,000 “booky” Bostonians of all ages and walks of life.  Crisp fall weather, and the fact that all events were free, contributed to the great turnout.

Prison Book Program and Better World Books shared an exhibit tent where we talked about the missions of both organizations to interested attendees.

We used our presence at the Boston Book Festival to promote our upcoming joint project — the fifth Annual Great American Book Drive — taking place in Boston on Saturday, November 5, from 10am – 3pm.

If there is one thing book lovers have in common, it’s a desire to see the books they’re finished with get passed along to new readers, and to support global literacy initiatives.  As an added bonus, by clearing off their bookshelves for the Book Drive, folks had a chance to made room for all of the new books purchased at the Festival!

Full details on the Boston Book Drive visit: www.prisonbookprogram.org/bookdrive

Better World Books is proud to support the efforts of Pam and her fellow volunteers at Prison Book Program through our LEAP Grant. The grant will help 220 prisoners receive GED test preparation materials and dictionaries so they can earn a GED and have viable options for work when they are released. You can learn more about this, and other grant, here.

*Note* The above blog post is a guest blog from our friend Pam at Prison Book Program. This content does not necessarily reflect the views of Better World Books (as our lawyers make sure we say). We love having guest bloggers and invite you to email 11@betterworldbooks.com if you are interested in covering a book or topic on the BWB Blog. Thank you, Pam!

I could not believe American media outlets were not reporting on this conflict, which had been happening for decades, and that my teachers had never brought up this issue in any of my social science classes.  Invisible Children caught hold of me in the best way possible and not only explained the situation in Central Africa, but also provided an avenue for me and other students across America to advocate for an end to this war.

Even after fundraising for Invisible Children throughout high school and college, I still felt I could do more for the vulnerable civilians in Central Africa. The opportunity came through an internship which was required as a part of my social work program through the University of Arkansas. I was hired as the Book Drive Intern for Invisible Children. This internship has been one of the best experiences of my life. I can leave the office each day knowing that I was an integral part of the effort to protect innocent civilians and to provide recovery to this war-torn region.

One of Invisible Children’s fundraising initiatives involves book drives, which are made possible through our partnership with Better World Books. Invisible Children asks their supporters to collect books at high schools and university campuses, which in turn are sent to Better World Books and sold online. A portion of the sale from these book drives are donated back to Invisible Children.  Book drives are an easy way for students to support Invisible Children’s mission and make use of textbooks that their bookstores would not buy back.  I am so passionate about Invisible Children books drives because I see firsthand how the financial support brought in by these book drives helps to fund programs that are not only saving lives, but are also creating sustainable change in conflict-ridden countries.

Our projects and programs are implemented throughout Central Africa including Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan.Our Legacy Scholarship Program provides a scholarship and a mentor for over 750 students in secondary school and university. Our Schools for Schools program benefits 11 partner schools in northern Uganda with hardware projects like building renovations and software projects that include teacher capacity workshops and curriculum development. Through book drives and online book sales, Better World Books as raised over $385 thousand for these initiatives.

The Functional Adult Literacy initiative currently has 50 groups of 20-25 focusing on numeracy, writing, and reading in their local language. This program is strengthened through Better World Books’ Literacy and Education in Action Program (LEAP), a grant initiative which funds programs all over the world. Better World Books also supports our Teacher Exchange program which enhances present educational models, and establishes long-term learning opportunities for both international and Ugandan teachers.

Finally, our newest initiative, the Protection Plan, promotes the protection of communities in LRA-affected areas (DR Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan) through the implementation of an Early Warning Radio Network, the encouragement of LRA defection through FM radio broadcasts, the posting of defection fliers in LRA active areas, and the creation of the first rehabilitation center in the Democratic Republic of Congo for LRA affected youth.

*Note* The below blog post is a guest blog from our friend Sarah, the Book Drive Intern for our partners at Invisible Children. This content does not necessarily reflect the views of Better World Books (as our lawyers make sure we say). We love having guest bloggers and invite you to email 11@betterworldbooks.com if you are interested in covering a book or topic on the BWB Blog. Thank you, Sarah!

Sarah reacted in an amazing way when she heard about the travesty happening in Central Africa. What are your thoughts on how you can make a difference for the child soldiers and their communities? Have you read any inspiring books about this issue? Please share…

Of course, Blubber isn’t the only book that’s been challenged or banned.  J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, first published in 1960, has met challenges shortly after it’s publication through today.  A Wrinkle in Time, a science fiction-fantasy novel geared towards young adult readers (and one of my personal favorites), was number 22 on the American Library’s Association’s list of most challenged books from 1990-2000 for it’s frequent references to witchcraft and crystal balls.  More recently, And Tango Makes Three, the 2005 story of two male penguins who raise a motherless chick together, has also met repeated challenges.

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has raised awareness for books that have been challenged or banned.  Libraries and bookstores around the county coordinate events to celebrate the freedom to read these books.

We’d love to hear from from you–do you have a banned books story to share?

“Elias” also personally changed my life. Thanks to the creative community work I led at the University of Virginia, Dispatch asked me to work with them that summer. The people I met around New England the summer after graduating have made a lasting positive impact on my life. Through Dispatch that summer, I met the African Children’s Choir and later produced a documentary on them for CNN, launching my career and achieving my dreams. I also befriended a filmmaker who I later collaborated with on “Rescued” after the devastating earth quake in Haiti.

Thanks to one band and one song, there are hundreds of thousands of young people out there just like me who have decided that we can make this world a better place. That vision is what brought me to Better World Books. Just like a song, I’ve learned, one book can make a world of difference in the life of a person, a country and our whole universe!

Dispatch is at it again! This time, raising awareness and funding for education in America. Their campaign “Amplifying Education” is a multi-platform program that will put new teachers in schools, improve school facilities, provide books and supplies to students and provoke discussion about education in the United States. Not only will a portion of every ticket sold on Dispatch’s Summer 2011 Tour will go to sponsor multiple Teach for America corps members in each market and a founding City Year Denver team during the 2011-2012 school year, we have also teamed up with the band to collect pre-loved books in a massive book drive at every show!

By selling the donated books online, we generate cash funds for important literacy projects. Dispatch fans are being encouraged to round up one or more gently used books (think books you would give to a friend) and bring them to the yellow school bus parked in front of the venue each night. Better World Books will sell the books online, contributing a portion of all revenue to support Amplifying Education’s end-of-tour donations to help restock the New Orleans Public Libraries.

“The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library would like to thank Dispatch and Better World Books for all they have done to raise literacy awareness and promote volunteerism throughout the world. This year New Orleans Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is expected to surpass pre-Katrina numbers. It is due largely in part to the generosity of these organizations that the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library are able to provide literacy services, books and programs to a community that continues to rebuild itself,” says Katelyn Ramsey Castleberry, Exectuve Director of The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

Check our our first shipment of empty book boxes for the band. This first weekend of shows, fans collected over 800 books in 19 full boxes!

An Education Village will be set up in each venue on every night of the Dispatch tour to highlight the work of leading organizations working in the field of education. By learning more about specific ways they can volunteer in their own community, Dispatch fans will be encouraged to stay involved long after the tour has moved on.

Throughout the Amplifying Education campaign, Dispatch will offer free music downloads from its 2009 Kennedy Center performance as a “thank you” for taking action. Fans will receive 5 songs for signing up at AmplifyingEducation.org, 5 songs for taking an online action for education, and 5 songs for taking a local action for education on the Dispatch tour. Helping others has never sounded so good!

Check out these photos from Dispatch’s first shows at Red Rocks in Colorado this weekend.

Photo Credit: Steve J. Rosenfield

What song or book has changed you life? Tell us how below…

The “BWB Fund”, though, is just the tip of the iceberg. BWB has raised a total of over $2.3 million in funding for BFA and directly donated over 2 million books, mostly college textbooks to their efforts. So while the “BWB Fund for BFA” is concluding, BWB continues to raise funds for BFA and other non-profit literacy partners with every book sold.

Celebration of the “BWB Fund” was marked by a party attended by about 100 people. BFA and BWB executives and employees were in attendance but the vast majority of the crowd were volunteers and supporters of BFA, without whom the impressive milestone of shipping over 1.4 million books to Africa through the “BWB Fund” would not have been possible.

BFA’s founder Tom Warth celebrated the success of the Books for Africa to date, but stressed how much more is left to do. “We’ve shipped over 23 million books to Africa, but Africa has 400 million children. The US only has about 70 million. There’s so much more we need to do,” he said.

BWB’s Vice President of Marketing, John Ujda, discussed the importance of the partnership, not only for the non-profit, but for BWB as well. “We love the work BFA is doing in this world. This partnership is an instrumental piece of Better World Books’ social mission. We are very proud of the work we’ve done together thus far.”

Music at the event was provided by BFA’s own warehouse band, and demonstrated the energy that volunteers from all over the community bring to this cause.

Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program ensures that Inkam has the supplies, tools and mentoring she needs to complete her secondary education and succeed in her dreams. Meet Inkam below, and see why investing in Inkam and others like her through Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program can change a life. (From http://blog.roomtoread.org/)

Better World Books accepts used books on behalf of Room to Read and their supporters. Proceeds from these books support Room to Read!

Since 2004, BWB has raised nearly $500K to support Room to Read, including building libraries and providing local language children’s books.

There are several ways you can support Room to Read through Better World Books: run a book drive, donate books to a drive on your campus and purchase books from our website. Proceeds from all sales benefit global literacy programs, including Room to Read.

To learn more about Room to Read’s other noble partners click here… and to check out more of the literacy, education and opportunity efforts we support, visit this site.

Can you imagine reciting Shakespeare by heart in the 3rd grade?

Robinson Shakespeare Company from Better World Books on Vimeo.

In 2008, Christy Burgess founded the Robinson Shakespeare Company at our first-ever literacy partner, the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana.

Ever since their first performance, Macbeth, there has been huge success and buy in with students and parents. The Shakespeare Company works with youth in 3rd-12th grades.

Right now, the Company is working on The Tempest. The young actors are donating half of the proceeds from the play to Tsunami relief in Japan.

Not only is the program fun, it is also successful! In the English Speaking Union Shakespeare Monologue Competition, the Robinson actors won 1st place in each category in 2009 and in 2010 won five out of six. They also have placed in the top three in state every year they have participated.

Christy says “It’s not just about Shakespeare. It’s not my goal to make brilliant Shakespeare actors. The Robinson Shakespeare Company is about building self-confidence, self-esteem, the ability to speak publicly, and learning how to trust each other as an ensemble.”

“My favorite part is seeing the growth in the students. Tiana (photo below) was so nervous before she performed her first play, she said her tummy hurt.  Afterward, we talked about how much fun she had.  When her Notre Dame Shakespeare partner said she was nervous, Tiana patted her hand and told her about her own stage fright,” shares Christy.

Last year, Better World Books donated 40 scripts each for four Shakespeare shows to the program. This year, we are awarding the Robinson Shakespeare Company with a $10,000 grant through our LEAP program. The grant will fund a six week intensive summer Shakespeare program for inner city urban youth.

Hear from Robinson Shakespeare Company members:

• “I never thought I could actually go up on stage and act, so it gave me confidence”
• “Before I would read Shakespeare and not know what they were talking about and now I can read it and understand and make jokes about it.  The entire thing made me think that Shakespeare wasn’t a boring guy but that he was really cool.”
• “If I can conquer acting, I can pretty much conquer anything!”
• “I’m not a good team player; I don’t consider myself to be. I’d like to be, but I get annoyed really quickly.  I know what it feels like to be up there on stage and not feel like I’m getting it.  I couldn’t loose patience with other people, because I didn’t want people to loose patience with me.  I know other people were trying their hardest and it made me understand people more. I think it will transfer over to other activities that I have to do.”

When did you learn Shakespeare for the first time and how did it translate to your life? Share your story below…

Removing economic and cultural barriers. Improving literacy skills and promoting healthy choices. Breaking inter-generational cycles of low literacy.

These are what the winners of the 2011 Better World Books/National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) Libraries and Families Award are accomplishing. And thanks to the national recognition, each winner will receive $10,000 to expand upon its success.

Here’s a little more info about each program. Contact NCFL if you’re a library with programming serving families. They’d love to hear from you, and your experiences can help inform additional opportunities and spark ideas!

Dallas, TX:

The Every Child Ready to Read Dallas program, supported by the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, serves families with children newborn to 6 years old. More than 80 percent of the participants are Hispanic or African-American.

Workshops are conducted in libraries, community centers or schools to engage parent and child in hands-on interactive, literacy-based activities. After attending the workshop, 83 percent of families engage in more literacy activities at home.

The grant will bring workshops into the homes of the families who are unable to attend by creating home instructional DVDs in English and Spanish.

Queens, NY:

The Queens Library Family Literacy Program is an intensive program that has strong collaborative partnerships with museums, faith-based organizations, schools and other community-based organizations. The Queens program serves one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse counties. As a result, large majority of families see increased adult literacy skills, improved listening and academic skills for children, additional reading in the home, and even more time spent exercising.

The Queens program plans to use the award funding to help participants publish a cookbook and produce a newscast that will assist parents and children in building critical literacy skills together and making healthy choices.

San Diego, CA:

READ/San Diego, the adult and family literacy program of the San Diego Public Library, serves low-literate English-speaking parents, grandparents or caregivers with at least one child under age 5. It provides them with one-on-one literacy training for themselves, introducing families to the services of the public library, teaching parents how to read to their children and ensure they are ready for school. Free children’s books also are provided to help families create at-home libraries. A large majority of parents in the program are achieving their literacy goals, and children are entering school much more prepared.

The grant will allow the library to increase the volume of books it can circulate in the community, and to offer better activities to increase involvement

How have libraries played a positive role in your life? Comment below!

The wonderful poet Naomi Shihab Nye got them started with a first line:

I send my words out into the air, listening for yours from everywhere.

What words do you send out into the air?

What words do you listen for?

Celebrate Poetry Month and create a Global Poem for Change with LitWorld!

What comes next?

Submit a line of your own at litworld.org/poem and watch our Poem GROW at litworld.org/poemblog.

LitWorld needs Your Words to Change Worlds.

Share this announcement and help their poem soar around the world…

“How on earth will I be able to go 25 hours without saying a word? I still haven’t figured that out (and I know some of my coworkers have their doubts), but let me tell you what I do know: The Invisible Children Protection Plan is AWESOME, and it means huge things for protecting and rehabilitating LRA victims in central Africa.  So why am I participating in the 25 event? Because I can help raise money for The Protection Plan AND speak out (well, you know what I mean) against Joseph Kony’s war, all at one fell swoop! Get ready to join the movement, friends – it’s a beautiful day for changing the world!” shares Amy Clark, an Atlanta-based Account Representative for Better World Books.

Today, almost 100,000 activists all over the world are going quite to make a loud statement through their silence: the longest running war has got to stop and child soldiers must be redeemed!

The Protection Plan from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Many amazing individuals on the Better World Books staff are taking part in 25 today!

“I’m participating in Invisible Children 25 because I know exactly where my funds and efforts will go. Helping IC means helping end the LONGEST running war on Earth. I don’t consider myself a big talker but being silent so those without a voice can be heard is awesome! I talk to clients often so having an opportunity to inform them of the amazing things IC is doing this way will really help spread the message,” explained Catarina Gutierrez a Better World Books Regional Manager.

“I’m participating in 25 because I would like to honor Nate’s 25 years of life and his contribution to Invisible Children as well as bring awareness to the longest running civil war. It’s the little uncomfortable action that I can take to make a difference half way across the world!” Account Representative Kathy Marks says.

The efforts of “25” participants are helping Invisible Children build up their Protection Plan as the Lord’s Resistance Army moves from Northern Uganda and into the DR Congo, Central African Republic and Sudan.

“I choose to support Invisible Children because they are so deserving of our attention. Many organizations out there have good intentions–their hearts are certainly in the right place. IC stands out to me from this plethora of nonprofits because they are adequately prepared to take on practical solutions to improve the quality of life of the people they’re helping. They perform thorough research, they consider their options, and they construct the proposal that what will bring the most beneficial results. I mean–a radio communication system and a rehab center (which are both apart of the Action Plan that the 25 Campaign’s proceeds will go toward) are not ridiculous requests. It’s one thing to say, ‘I want to save the world,’ and it’s another to move forward with an impactful, but most importantly, feasible, agenda. IC practices great judgment and is successful at producing results. I know my contributions, efforts, and donations will be apart of something that works,” says Sam Lansford our Antique, Rare and Collectibles Specialist.

“While working at Better World Books allows us to do so much in support of our non-profit literacy partners, it’s so important to believe in their causes… participating in events like 25 allow us to make that happen and do more in support of an organization doing great things,” explains Joshua Fu, BWB Account Representative.

“Being a chatter box, 25 is HUGE undertaking for me. Try parenting without being able to speak to your kids! The reason I’m participating in 25 is simple: It’s amazing to be part of something that proactively save lives like the Protection Plan will. It’s also a great way to honor someone (Nate Henn) who selflessly gave everything he had to help others. In a way, I feel like a silent solider using the power of my voice; to speak out without saying a word,” Account Representative Stacey Bolnik says.

We partner with Invisible Children in many more ways than the 25 project. At Better World Books, we are dedicated to bringing education to these “invisible children” across Central East Africa – children who are kidnapped, raped and forced to kill in this 25 year long war. One of the most effective ways YOU can support our joint efforts is to make your books count for more by hosting a Better World Books drive, buying your books from BWB or even selling your textbooks to us to benefit Invisible Children. Become a part of the solution here: http://www2.invisiblechildren.com/bookdrive.

Our friends from Invisible Children came to our Atlanta office to show us their latest film, Tony. This powerful film brought tears of sadness and of hope to all of our eyes. After the screening, we swapped t-shirts in a celebration of our awesome partnership!

Check out the trailer for Tony:

Tony Bracelet: Trailer from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Another exciting way that Better World Books works with Invisible Children is through our Literacy and Education Action Program (LEAP). We have awarded Invisible Children with a $22,000 grant to implement their Teacher Exchange project in Northern Uganda. Our grant will enhance training and resources for six teachers affecting over 300 students, and this effect will expand over time. The program will bring six Ugandan teachers to the U.S. for a week long intensive teacher-training program after which they will return to their schools and spread what they’ve learned. Check here soon to hear how the teachers are doing.

Finally, we are so proud of our friends at Invisible Children for their presence on Oprah last week for the third time. You can see their interview with Oprah here: http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Invisible-Children/1.

Thank you so much for helping us support these amazing initiatives across Central East Africa with Invisible Children. Keep donating and buying books at BWB to continue making the world a better place one book at a time!

Libraries serve a very important function in our communities.  They are a valuable resource for children and adults.  Libraries offer a wide range of services from helping people find jobs to offering workshops for small businesses.  And they are often the only place to access the internet for the 34% of the US population who do not have computer access at home (“Home Broadband Adoption,” Pew Internet and American Life, 2010).

Libraries tend to reflect the communities they serve.  They tailor their services to the needs of the people in their areas.  And when new resources are needed to help the local community, libraries will seek funding to make their projects a reality.  That’s where we come in.

Better World Books is a huge supporter of libraries of all kinds and we are aware of the financial struggles they face.  It is why we decided to make available $75,000 to be distributed to libraries who have compelling projects which will make a dramatic impact in their communities.

Libraries have up until March 25th to submit their “Game Changing” ideas. Winners will be announced on May 16th and the winning projects implemented between 5/16/11 and 12/31/11.

We are looking for projects that will significantly impact literacy in their communities.  It’s why we refer to them as “Game Changing” ideas.  Successful applicants will use funds to advance a compelling literacy project that Better World Books will follow and share with you.

If you work at a library, know of anyone that works at a library, love your library or have ever been touched by the power of a book, check out www.betterworldbooks.com/librarygrants.  There you’ll find out more about the library grant program and how to participate.

Enter Divine Chocolate. Divine Chocolate Ltd is a Fairtrade organization that makes super delicious chocolate with the aim of improving the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa. In addition to paying a Fairtrade price for all of the cocoa used in the chocolate it sells, Divine Chocolate is working to raise awareness of fair trade issues among US retailers and consumers by acting as a catalyst for change. It’s sort of what we do with books, only with chocolate. Mmmmmm…chocolate.

To support Divine Chocolates in its mission we’re giving everyone who buys three used books a free yummy chocolate bar.

Sweet deal! (see what we did there?)

Part 1:

Part 2:

Stay tuned for the rest of the interview… coming soon!

About a year ago our co-founder Xavier Helgesen was reading the New York Times as he often does and came across a story by reporter Nicholas Kristof that he could not ignore.  It was a pretty powerful piece about the severe lack of maternal and child health care in many parts of the world and one woman who was working to change that in the breakaway Somaliland region of Somalia in East Africa.

Her name is Edna Adan Ismail and she is an incredible woman who chose not to retire but instead to work tirelessly to save and improve the lives of women and children.  After a successful career working for the World Health Organization,  Ms. Edna used her pension and sold her Mercedes to build the The Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland where she works every day doing everything from delivering babies to teaching to rounding up surgical masks and supplies.

While this may seem impressive, it is even more impressive to note that Ms. Edna was the first midwife in Somaliland and that she was determined that there be more.  She was just unable to accept conditions in which the most dangerous thing a woman could do was to get pregnant.

As Xavier read the story of Ms. Edna and her teaching hospital and her strength and will, he knew Better World Books had to get involved and do something to help.

And where there’s a book, there’s a way.  We had the books and Ms. Edna had a teaching hospital that he was sure could benefit from having them.  Now to make the connection and figure out the logistics.

Working with Books for Africa, we selected about 6,000 medical books and other college-level books that we figured they could find a good home for in Somaliland, filled up a sea container and sent them to Ms. Edna.  It was a big job getting the books there and an even bigger job for Ms. Edna and the students to sort the books and get them where they could use them most, they couldn’t have been more excited.

“This was the biggest consignment of books ever received and we are all excited about them,” said Ms. Edna in an email to Xavier. “Please extend our deep appreciation to all who collected, packed, shipped, and donated these books to little-known and un-recognised Somaliland, a small country in East Africa, where three and a half million people are looking for basic health care.”

The Nursing, English, and Management textbooks were donated to the nursing students while the remaining medical texts went into the Hospital’s Library and the remainder of the non-medical college level textbooks were distributed to the Universities of Burao, Berbera, and Hargeisa where they could best be used.

It’s not just about books on shelves – it’s about real change.

Ms. Edna said it best in her email:

“Your books have given us the means to train an additional 22 new students in Community Midwifery which is a new category of students we did not train before. These students do not only learn one skill but are trained for 18 months during which they are taught safe practice of Midwifery. This is the first time that this category is being trained for our country and they are being trained for the far and isolated regions and districts of our Somaliland where they will be the only professional health workers in a wide geographical area. We are confident that this training will be a concrete way to reduce the un-acceptably high maternal and child morbidity and mortality rate of these communities.”

The fight for better health care for mothers and babies rages on in many parts of the world and we are so proud to have helped in at least this small way.  For more information on how you can help, visit The Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital website.

]]> http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/08/13/where-theres-a-book-theres-a-way/feed/ 7 http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/07/28/bwb-lilith-meet-author-monica-holloway/ http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/07/28/bwb-lilith-meet-author-monica-holloway/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:40:54 +0000 Abbey http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/?p=5480 On our LA stop  Monica Holloway, author of DRIVING WITH DEAD PEOPLE, hung out with us to meet fans and sign copies of her latest book COWBOY AND WILLS.  She sat down with me and our trusty camera to chat about the book, Lilith and her affiliation with The National Center for Family Literacy.

It was so great to meet Monica and have her with us.  I hope you enjoy the chat and grab a copy of her book too!

I asked her why are books and music so linked together for people and she had this to say:

“Passion – I think that’s the most important thing. People become avid readers because there’s a subject that they’re passionate about…and its similar with becoming a musician or enjoying music as a form of expression. It’s something that taps into your passion.”

Check out the video to hear more.

It is with great sadness and yet great hope and inspiration that all of us at Better World Books let our friends at Invisible Children know that we are with them in this time of mourning and loss.  While I did not know Nate Henn personally, he is the type of individual that exemplifies the tremendous passion and enthusiasm of the IC community to change this world for the better… no matter the naysayers; no matter the odds (click here to find out more about Nate).  He, his family and friends, and the entire Invisible Children organization will be in our thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.

It will be in memory of Nate, as well is in the name of every member of Invisible Children who labors to bring peace, justice and a better world through literacy and education to the children and families of Northern Uganda, that we at Better World Books will continue our efforts to support IC’s mission in all that we do.

David Murphy
President and CEO
Better World Books

Better World Books and the National Center for Family Literacy are teaming up again this year to provide grants for libraries with exceptional family programming.

Applications are now being accepted for the Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award. You can get more information and apply at online at http://www.famlit.org/BWB-library-award.  Applications are due by Nov. 12, 2010.

NCFL anticipates awarding three $10,000 grant awards– one in each of the following three categories:

1) Local Friends of the Library programs
2) Public/academic libraries
3) Urban libraries

In addition, award recipients will receive scholarships to attend the National Conference on Family Literacy.

Last year’s winners are doing amazing things!  Learn more about them here!

This will be the second year of the award and the latest partnership effort between our organizations, which together have raised more than $555,000 for NCFL’s programming since 2005.

While Gina, a gorgeous black lab and Abbie, a very friendly golden retriever stole the show, we also had the pleasure of learning more about R.E.A.D. from their people, Melissa Saul and Merilee Kelley.

For instance, R.E.A.D. teams consist of an appropriately tempered dog and their owner (there are 2,500 teams around the world). The dogs and their people go through rigorous screening and training programs before working with children. According to Melissa, the training is more for the people than the dogs. That would certainly be true of me – my English setter/spaniel/who-knows-what-else dog, Carmen, would get it right away while I was still on square one.

One of the most touching stories Melissa and Merilee told was of Joshua, an autistic boy whose mother brought him to the library once a month. Joshua had difficulty connecting with other people and expressing emotion to them – as just one example, his crying baby sibling brought no response. But he connected with the golden retriever he read with, even expressing emotion to the dog. Then back at home he started expressing concern when the baby was crying.

R.E.A.D. teams work mainly in schools and libraries, coordinating their efforts with a reading specialists, teachers or librarians. In schools, children  who need extra attention to reading are selected for the program and are stars because they get to read to the dogs. When a child graduates from the program, they get to escort a new student into the program and ‘teach them the ropes’. Testing before and after participation in the program has consistently shown dramatic results in children’s reading level.

It was great to learn all about what R.E.A.D. is accomplishing and of course to shake paws and share some books with Gina and Abbie!

]]> http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/04/27/woof-the-r-e-a-d-dogs-come-for-a-visit/feed/ 2 http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/04/13/ssshhhh-its-national-library-week/ http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2010/04/13/ssshhhh-its-national-library-week/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:28:51 +0000 Dana http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/?p=5083 Remember how proud you were when you got your very first library card? Remember how cool it was to look at all those books and know that you got to pick one to take home? If you love your library you might be almost as cool as Neil Gaiman. Well maybe not, but he’s pretty cool. And also the Honorary Chair of National Library Week!

If you’ve forgotten how awesome your library is, this is the week to go back!  In these tough economic times, your library is there for you. Did you know that libraries provide free access to books and computers, homework help, assistance with resumes and job searches, accurate financial information, adult education courses, assistance for new Americans, CDs, DVDs and much more?   Well you do now!  You can get all that and a signature “shush” all in one visit.  And for one low, low price…FREE!!!

And as much as they do for you, your library needs you too!   You can support your local library by:

• Visiting early and often.  (Late is good too).
• Shopping the Library Online Sidewalk Sale right here at Better World Books.
• Contact your state officials to let them know how valuable libraries and those who work in libraries are, how much you love libraries, and why!

 
So, in honor of National Library Week, I offer the following advice:  Be quiet in your library, but not about your library!  Shout your library love from the rooftops and help keep these wonderful resources available for generations to come.

The winning libraries will each receive $10,000 for their awesome family programming.

Meet the winners:

• The Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library in Shirley, N.Y. (Public/Academic Libraries Category). The library’s Learning English: A Family Affair program offers high quality instruction focused on learning English. Standardized tests show that 75 percent of participants increase their English proficiency by at least one level in less than a year; and
• The Vineland Public Library in Vineland, N.J. (Urban Library Category). The library’s Families and Books workshop instructs adults on the importance of reading to their children daily. The program, which is conducted at local schools, community organizations and in the library, has strong results. Research shows 63 percent of parents who attended the workshops said they read more often to their children, and 88 percent of parents said reading aloud to their children had improved their children’s readings skills.

Our CEO David Murphy had this to say; “Local libraries serve a critical role in promoting lifelong learning and literacy in their communities. We are proud to partner with NCFL to specifically promote the new and innovative ways libraries are working to bring families together over books and learning.”

And Sharon Darling the NCFL president & founder added, “Libraries provide important access for families to read together and take other critical steps that lead to success. This new award program will spur the innovative programming that is fundamental to that success.”

The winners were officially announced at NCFL’s National Conference on Family Literacy in San Antonio.  To learn more, check out our detailed press release!

I have always thought that books, reading, and libraries connect us in a “pay it forward” kind of way.  When you think about it, a good book isn’t half as good if you can’t share it with someone.  There is a primal need, in fact, of wanting to challenge and excite someone else with the discovery of a great author or book.  That is why, I believe, the whole One Book, One Community idea has taken off across the country.  It is an exciting event in which all residents are encouraged to read the same book at the same time and discuss it with friends and family, with a book club or at a program.

For our first title, we have selected To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Set in the South during the Great Depression, this coming-of-age novel is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America.  We chose it because it is filled with tenderness, humor, and heart wrenching moments that are thought provoking and discussable.  It is also perfectly fitting that this year is the 50th anniversary of this all American classic and Pulitzer prize winning book.

As we planned this event it was amazing how this book created enthusiasm and started to pull people together as ideas evolved and excitement grew surrounding the book.  Everyone we talked to had a unique way in which they wanted to participate and celebrate To Kill a Mockingbird.

Thank you to Better World Books for partnering with us and for donating 100 copies of To Kill a Mockingbird that are being read around the community at such places as the Center for the Homeless, The Robinson Center, and St. Margaret’s House.  I personally dropped off many of these books and I can’t tell you the smiles, joy, and gratitude I received for sharing this generous donation.

We also want to thank many of our other partners including Friends of the St. Joseph County Public Library, Center for History, Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, Indiana University South Bend, St. Joseph County Bar Association, South Bend Area Genealogical Society, Thyme of Grace, and WNIT Public Television.

One Book, One Michiana will take place from April 11 to May 9, 2010.  If you’re in the area, we invite you to read this story with us and find an interesting program to attend, so you can join in the synergy as we discuss what we love about this book.

One Book, One Michiana.  Read the book and “pay it forward.”

– Dawn Matthews, St. Joseph County Public Library

Congrats, Rob! We’re proud to work with you.

A few words about Rob and Read International from the Enterprising Young Brits website:

“READ International is an innovative social venture that works successfully as a business whilst providing social, ethical and environmental benefits. With a network of 40 student volunteer-led projects, READ International collects disused books from UK schools and distributes them through out Uganda and Tanzania.”

“Inspired by a friends Gap Year teaching in Tanzania, Robert attempted to find a solution for the lack of teaching resources there. With a similar syllabus as in England, the solution seemed obvious to Robert and the idea for READ International was born. The company has not only saved tonnes of teaching resources from UK landfill, it has also supported over 260,000 Tanzanian school children to date.”

You can see all the Enterprising Young Brit award winners here.

Better World Books is expanding!  We’re happy to announce the grand opening of our new website, BetterMarsBooks.com.

In our ongoing effort to promote literacy efforts, we’re looking ahead to new markets, and we believe that we can make a huge impact on the planet Mars.

Why Mars?
With efforts going so well here on Earth, why bother moving our business to the Red Planet?  Well, there are a few reasons…

• All studies ever conducted on the subject show that Literacy rates on Mars are below that of Earth — fertile ground for our social mission.
• There are currently no other booksellers that cater to the region, so we would be first to market.
• Shipping to Mars is costly to say the least.  However, the carbon emissions from rocket fuel are a non-issue in the infinite void of space, dropping Carbon Offset costs to zero.
• The Martian year is almost twice as long as an Earth year, which would give us that much more time to achieve our quarterly goals.
• Mars has two moons, so that’s double the moonlight to read by.  Sadly, however, they are expected to crash into the planet’s surface within the next 50 million years, so you can see why we’re motivated to get started now while we have the opportunity.

What’s New?
A couple of facets of our unique business model will have to be adapted for interplanetary commerce.  Among these tweaks:

• The Martian-language version of our website is still in progress. We’re still working out the nuances of the language (Idioms and telepathic inflection are particularly tough to translate), but it should be complete later this (Mars-) year.
• Shipments from Earth to Mars will start at the low rate of $522,300 per book. However, given that the distance between Mars and Earth can be anywhere between 55 million km and 400 million km depending on orbit cycles, we recommend putting orders in as early as possible.  (Mars orders for Christmas 2014 should be placed immediately.)  Expediting a Mars order will be an additional 3 trillion galactic credits (About $10⁹⁹ USD given current exchange rates).  Additionally, space piracy and scouting parties from the Blärgáxian Empire may also delay some orders.
• Donation bins will only be located in terraformed regions of Mars.  Fortunately, our green bins will stand out against the barren, rust-colored rock-scape.  (Note: If you are used to Earth gravity, please donate your books slowly to keep from knocking over the bins.)

Please join us in welcoming our first interplanetary literacy partner, Read Planet.  After a thorough vetting process (just barely edging out other organizations such as Total Read-call and Mars Attacks Books), we are confident that they are fully devoted to promoting Martian literacy.

At Better Mars Books, we’re looking forward to flabbergasting the Martian public with our low prices, economic sustainability, and our commitment to literacy efforts from the inert slopes of Olympus Mons to the scenic canyons of the Valles Marineris.

And as always, thanks for your support as we supply our new market with better books… for a better Mars!

View the official press release.

2-April-2010 Addition: Screenshot of BetterWorldBooks.com on 1-April (click image to enlarge)