University of British Columbia Book Drive

Posted by admin on 06.23.2008 at 10:52 am

Hi all!  My UBC Golden Key contact sent along this shot today.  He’s basically coordinated and collected all of the books himself – already has 48 boxes packed and more to go!

Woot woot!!

2 Comments » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, campus, Canada, UBC, University of British Columbia

Campus Shout Out: UBC

Posted by admin on 05.12.2008 at 10:37 am

UBC is one of my new schools (through my recent acquisition of Canadian schools) and this school values literacy.  UBC has worked with Better World Books to support Books for Africa since fall 2005 and has sent – you may need to sit down – 1,885 cartons of books!  All of the campus bookstores participate during buybacks; additionally, FORGE, Golden Key and the Medical School have all participated!  This spring, Golden Key and the UBC Bookstore are carrying the drive, and so far they have shipped 136 cartons!

To promote the drive, Golden Key created an excellent website that outlines the types of books they collect, where the donation sites are, and who can be contacted with questions.  I recommend all students interested in coordinating a drive check it out as it is a great, efficient way to share information on the book drive: http://ubcgoldenkey.org/bookdrive/.  If you are located at UBC and would like to donate books, you can find donation bins in the following locations:

*Outside the entrance to the David Lam Library
*Outside the entrance to the Education Library
*Inside the Abdul Ladha Science Centre
*Inside the lobby of the Gage Residence Towers

Best of luck this semester, UBC; your dedication to sharing literacy and reducing waste shines as an example to campuses around North America!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, campus, Golden Key, UBC

Tips from the Bookdrive King!

Posted by King on 05.12.2008 at 9:59 am

When this company was in it’s youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1500+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

-Tip 1
-Tip 2
-Tip 3

Here is your final tip to get as many books as you can even if your semester has ended:

TIP #4: Offer professors and departments an office clean out service!

Students are not the only people on campus with books; Professors and faculty are often sent sample copies all throughout the year, and there are many offices that are just overflowing with books. Most faculty would love the chance the de-clutter their office, support a good cause, and help with your group’s fundraising efforts. You have heard of a car wash fundraiser; offer your campus an Office Wash fundraiser.

BOOK DRIVES THAT COLLECT BOOKS FROM OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS INCREASE THEIR BOOKS BY 50%!

• Send out a mass email or get a blurb in the campus newsletter alerting all faculty on campus of your “office wash” opportunity.
• Put collection bins in major buildings in easy to reach places.
• Offer a door to door service to come by and do pickups from any office or department that wishes to donate.

Remember, any books that we receive by 7/31/2008 will count as part of your spring book drive totals. As always, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, I hope the end of semester goes smoothly for all of you, and I hope this short series of tips has helped you maximize your campus book drive. Have a great summer!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, Aaron King, book drive, campus, king of book drives

Tips from the Bookdrive King!

Posted by King on 05.12.2008 at 9:55 am

When this company was in it’s youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1500+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

-Tip 1
-Tip 2

Without further ado, here is Tip #3:

For some of you finals just ended; for others, finals are just around the corner.  In either case, I hope your book collection is in full swing.

And now, the moment you have been waiting for, tip #3.

TIP #3:  CAPITALIZE ON END OF YEAR MOVE OUT!

Yes, the prime place to collect books is near or in the bookstore, to get every book that the bookstore cannot buy back.  However, there are many books that just do not make it to the buyback that still get dumped in the trash when people clean out their rooms.

BOOK DRIVES THAT COORDINATE WITH THE END OF SEMESTER MOVE OUT HAVE INCREASED THEIR BOOKS BY 40%!

• Forge an alliance with the Residence Halls, their directors, managers and RA’s.  No one really wants to see books get thrown away.  Some schools have had a lot of success having the RA’s have one final event for their students, which floor or which hall can accumulate the most books?
• Reach out to Greek houses, Co-ops, or any other off campus housing properties; these areas are often neglected, but think about it: that senior moving out of his or her apartment for the last time probably has a lot of books they accumulated that they really are not going to want to lug around.  Make it easy for them to donate to your book drive.
• Contact your campus building services or facilities departments;  if books tragically do end up in the trash,  these departments are often burdened with hauling them around campus to their eventual demise at a recycling center or sadly, a landfill.  They would gladly give books over to your book drive.

I hope that these strategies can help make sure that no books fall through the cracks and you are able to get as many books from your campus as possible.  And remember, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Please contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Tip #4.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, Aaron King, book drive, campus, king of book drives

HSC at Dakota Wesleyan

Posted by admin on 03.17.2008 at 3:29 pm

Having worked with the Human Services Club at Dakota Wesleyan University
since the Spring of 2006 book drive (5 straight semesters, excellent
commitment to book drives and service!), I admit that I didn’t know much
about the amazing work they were doing outside of the bookdrive.  I think
one of the more impressive things about many of the student groups we
partner with is that they not only put forth a great deal of energy and
passion into the book drives but also lend this commitment to their
communities, their schools and their fellow students.  I want to let amazing
deeds shine here because they are a great example of the impact student
organizations can have:

Hats, gloves, mittens and scarves from the Extremities Tree are donated to the SD Department of Social Services, represented by 1997 DWU human services graduate Laura Bruns. Pictured, from left to right, are Tiffany Hixon, Tami Pickart, Andrea Dalzell, Rachel Streeter, Nicole Krueger and Laura Bruns.

“Students do not have to be a human services major or minor to belong to the club. We have students from other majors who want to be involved in community service/education on areas of social concern and they find the club as a good organization to join.

Besides the areas mentioned on the webpage, last semester the club members assisted Toys for Tots by collecting toys at a basketball game and helping wrap presents before delivery to the families. We also helped assemble food baskets for families served by the Salvation Army, participated in the Take Back the Night Walk, helped bake and frost cupcakes for a volunteer recognition at the local domestic violence shelter (Mitchell Area Safehouse), and attended a conference on “Victim-Centered Care for Sexual Assault Patients.”

In the spring, the group is coordinating two donation drives: The Extremities Tree (we find much more success collecting hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, etc. at the end of winter when everything is on sale in the stores! We box it up and donate in the fall to the Department of Social Services, for distribution to foster children and other families in need) and a used cell phone collection. The cell phones (chargers and cords, also) are collected and donated to the Mitchell Area Safehouse, where they are given to individuals/victims who need to have at least 911 access. Other human service agencies in the area can also contact the Safehouse for cell phones if they have a client in need. Later on this semester we are attending a child abuse prevention conference and will be helping support a mission trip to Tanzania. The monies we receive from Better World Books in return for the donated textbooks are used for subsidizing the projects described!”

-Pam Boline, Faculty Advisor, HSC

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, campus, dakota wesleyan university, human services club

Onondaga Community College PTK

Posted by admin on 01.09.2008 at 10:41 am

(Things are hoppin at OCC)

Onondaga’s Student Newspaper, The Overview, has a blog, which mentions the latest Phi Theta Kappa induction. I’d talk more about it but I’ll let the fine writers at OCC do the work:

Alpha Sigma Zeta, OCC’s local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, inducted 85 new members on Oct 23, 2007. In a candlelight ceremony, members were honored for their academic achievements and service to their campus and community.

Kelly Insel, chapter secretary, had the honor of presenting checks to Elmwood Elementary School and Seymour Elementary School to purchase needed books and supplies.

*This money was earned through the Better World Books program in which members collected textbooks that were sent to Africa. For each book accepted into the program, the chapter was reimbursed money to be used in the local community.*

Debra Baehr, Elizabeth Bailey, Elaine Baker, Michael Balintfy, Andrew Borchik, Helene Brophy, Latoya Brown, Brittany Caprilozzi, Sarah Carlson, Karen Carnessali, Christa Carsten, Christina Catalfano, Melissa Ceresko, Jonah Cohen, Mert Coskan, Sean Cummings, David Currier, Amy Dederich, Caleb Defrees, Paul Dooley, Alexander Douglas, Emily Dwyer, Franciscalenae Egbuna, Christopher Ezomo, Justin Fabiny, Christine Finnemore, Megan Forman, Kimberly Germinio, Jacqueline Goletsas, Kevar Griffin, Shelby Hall-Lorenz, Peter Hawley, Machia Haynes, William Heuschneider, Lauren Jemola, Susan Johnson, Swaroop Joseph Varghese, Terea Killings, Jessica Kline, Melissa Krausnick, Craig Laduke, Katie Larock, Crystal Lauzau, Ashley LeClair, Debra Ledford-Prahl, Martha Lortie, Kimberly Lowe, Allison Masella, James McCampbell, Sarah McMichael, Jessica Milton, William Mitrus, Jason Myers, Timothy Olson, Kevin O’Toole, In Gi Park, Peter Paynter, Edward Perry, Nicholas Pikarsky, Kimmy Radell, Alison Randolph, Mike Robbins, Robert Rudeau, Dipendra Sah, Jacqueline Samora, Cadelyn Schmid, Alice Shaw, Denise Shuart, Josh Siddall, Deborah Silver, Thomas Sleeth, Staci Smith, Jill Stellmack, Sutida Sukkrasae, Andrew Swan, Margaret Swift, Timothy Szarek, Alexis Truskalo, Heather VanAlstine, Marina Vasquez, Lan Vo, Katharina Wesel, Janet Witter, David Youngentob, Jaime Zolfaghari

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, campus, onondaga community college, Phi Theta Kappa, press, SUNY, the overview

Feature in AMSA’s New Physician Magazine

Posted by admin on 12.11.2007 at 11:11 am

In 2006 Sonia Sosa approached Better World Books about starting a book drive with AMSA (the American Medical Student Association) to support global literacy efforts in Africa through the non-for-profit organization, Books for Africa . At the ’06 National Convention this drive raised 500 books in just a few days. Michael A. Casey succeeded Sonia in her position and saw the opportunity to take her dream and build upon it. During the months to come he would turn her efforts into a nation wide book drive that spanned the country with drives at 28 schools and an additional 10,500 books collected. Thanks to all the books AMSA has collected Books for Africa can fund the shipment of 30,000 books to Africa , enough to fill 15 schools!

These book drives are truly making a difference in the lives of impoverished people. Books collected in a Better World Books /AMSA drive will either be sold to raise much-needed funding for Books for Africa , or they will be sent to their collection center for shipping overseas. Pat Plonski, Executive Director, Books for Africa , notes, “By increasing African literacy, we decrease African poverty. Every book donated by a student or a bookstore puts us that much closer to ending the African book famine.”

Better World Books has provided $3420 to AMSA chapters, and has allocated $1056.75 for a travel scholarship to Africa . The hope is to make improving literacy in Africa an everyday, every chapter effort that expands each year. With increasing book collections we hope to have a growth of this fellowship to fund not only travel but support promising students in their development of an on the ground literacy initiative in Africa.

To read the entire article pick up a copy of December’s New Physician Magazine or visit this link, www.amsa.org/chapoff/BWB.cfm

AMSA: It takes more than medical school to make a physician

Have your say » | Tagged Our Partners, American Medical Student Association, AMSA, book drive, campus, New Physician Magazine, Our Partners, press

Oklahoma University Book Drive

Posted by admin on 12.11.2007 at 10:14 am

Hey, if you live in Oklahoma, are a Sooners fan/alum or just really dig news about the Big XII, check out the following from The Norman Transcript:

Phi Alpha Theta, Zeta Theta chapter, will organize a campus textbook drive to benefit Worldfund, a nonprofit organization seeking to transform lives in Latin America through high quality education, between Monday and Jan. 9.  The group will collect all textbooks and other college level texts published between 2001 and 2007.

An assessment by the U.S Agency for International Development reports that children in Latin America attend school an average of 5.4 years, stating that “the inferior quality of education impedes the ability of Latin America to move forward economically.”

Organizers of the Worldfund book drive will collect used college-level books in green-and-white “Book Drive” collection bins on the OU campus at Dale Hall, Dale Hall Tower, Ellison Hall, Gould Hall and the Fine Arts Building.

Thanking the University of Oklahoma community for its support, Worldfund Founder Luanne Zurlo said, “By donating your books to benefit Worldfund, you will help individuals gain the education they need to lift themselves out of poverty.”

In July 2006, Worldfund retained Better World Books as its premier agent to collect books on its behalf. Books collected for Worldfund will be sold online to generate a sustainable stream of unrestricted funding for the organization. Nationwide book drives since fall 2006 have raised $15,000 for Worldfund’s programs. For more information, visit Worldfund.

(Link to original article)

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, campus, Oklahoma, Oklahoma University, press

North Hennepin CC Bookstore Scholarship

Posted by admin on 12.05.2007 at 11:44 am

Scoring an unprecedented 6 out of 5 on the knock your socks, shoes and toewarmers-off scale, North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) launched one of the most exciting new pilot programs with which Better World Books is involved.  From the press release of the NHCC Communications Department:

“BROOKLYN PARK – On Tuesday, November 27, 2007, a newly formed partnership between Better World Books, The North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) Bookstore, the NHCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and the NHCC Foundation yielded its first donation toward a new textbook scholarship for NHCC students with a $822.00 check.”<

What’s so interesting about this is that the Phi Theta Kappa group helps organize and promote the book drive in support of Books for Africa.  The main collection point is at the bookstore during buyback and the Phi Theta Kappa group has a table set up to help promote the literacy cause.  The scholarship check is given to the NHCC Foundation whose main function is to distribute scholarship money to deserving students.  This particular scholarship is unique for the Foundation because it’s distributed via the bookstore and specifically for textbooks!  It’s a great combination of effort from Phi Theta Kappa students and faculty on campus working with the bookstore and the school’s administration to build a stronger campus community, help support literacy in Africa, AND reuse and recycle thousands of books that might otherwise go to waste.  Ingenuity and goodwill in action- what Better World Books was founded upon and what our partnerships with NHCC and Phi Theta Kappa are continuing to spread.

(back) Peggy LePage, Tom Curtis, DeeDee Heitzman, Matt Cici, Niko Tomlinson (Better World Books), Carole LaFleur

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, book drive, brooklyn park, campus, North Hennepin Community College, Phi Theta Kappa

Leaders and Book Drives

Posted by admin on 11.29.2007 at 8:29 pm

Our student book drive leaders are a great bunch. In between classes, jobs, activities (and probably a few parties) they find the time to organize and promote book drives to benefit literacy groups all over the world. Without the devotion of this esteemed group, we’d be lost. In addition to the great work they do with Better World Books, many of our student leaders are changing the world. A few months ago I learned of a student at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia who was working on opening a library in Kigali, Rwanda. I soon contacted Logan Gibson and we’ve been working together on a book drive at W & L. Through the Better World Books model Logan is able to raise funds for her library while collecting books for Books For Africa. I have been inspired by her hard work and tenacity. Here’s Logan’s story…in her own words:

A summer teaching English in South Africa my sophomore year ignited my love for the continent. The following year, 2007, I took on the effort to set up a library for the secondary school my cousin is building in Rwanda, and received a $10,000 Projects for Peace Grant to get it started. With the guidance of Washington and Lee University professors and librarians, I spent three months soliciting donations, purchasing books and software, making shipments, and devising a unique library cataloging system.

When I stepped of the plane in Kigali, Rwanda, I found that the books I had shipped three months earlier had not yet arrived. Though temporarily projectless, I was thrilled to immerse myself in Rwandan culture, get to know my Rwandan family, and take over teaching my cousin’s class of forty students, ages 9-46, while she traveled to America. The class was composed of pastors, electricians, mothers, farmers, and children, and though I stood at the front of the room, ours was a symbiotic relationship of learning and understanding. At night, I poured over the journals of the students—thankful for such an intimate window into their lives and inspired by each of their stories of devastating loss, forgiveness, and hope. I spent my free time devouring books on Rwanda’s peace and reconciliation process and found to my surprise that Rwandans were willing to speak about the genocide.

I traveled to Arusha, Tanzania to observe the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda where the masterminds of the genocide are put to trial. When I returned to Rwanda, I attended the traditional Gacaca courts where more grassroots reconciliation takes place. Sitting cross-legged in a field, I watched murderers confess to the families of their victims and walk free—an indispensable human experiment in restorative, not retributive justice.

The 2,500 pounds of books began to arrive shortly before I returned to America, and I spent sleepless nights cataloging them with the added inspiration that the students who had inspired me daily in the classroom would soon have the chance to experience the creative power of these stories. Through the library project, my hope is to cultivate peace in a small way by creating a safe and stimulating environment where both Hutu and Tutsi children can come together and use literary access as a healing resource.

Back on campus at Washington and Lee University, I step with purposeful energy. As chairwoman of W&L’s speakers committee, I am organizing a “Re-imagining Rwanda” forum this spring, and as campus President for Books for Africa, I am leading the effort to recycle and reuse books for use in Africa. The library project challenged me to be innovative, entrepreneurial, and flexible, but it was the personal relationships I formed with my students and my own observations of Rwanda’s growth and reconciliation that have truly inspired me to study and share the intimate lessons of Rwanda’s healing example.

Check out Logan’s amazing blog for more stories and information.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, africa, book drive, campus, Impact, washington and lee