If you’ve been involved with Better World Books for awhile, it’s likely you know our story. Nearly 20 years ago, University of Notre Dame college friends decided to start a business selling textbooks online and doing a little good for the community at the same time. What you may not know is that community involvement began with the University of Notre Dame Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC). RCLC is an off-campus initiative of Notre Dame that offers relationship-building and educational opportunities to South Bend residents. In addition to all that RCLC presently does for its community, RCLC was also the first home to Better World Books. Within six months of making RCLC’s backroom BWB’s first warehouse, we had raised approximately $10,000 and sold over 2,000 books.
Over the years, both Better World Books and RCLC have outgrown that little space, but they have maintained an impactful relationship. BWB has provided continual monetary support for RCLC through proceeds from our book dropboxes in the local area, in addition to awarding literacy grants to the Robinson Shakespeare Company and offering warehouse tours to RCLC Youth Entrepreneurs. We even debuted our bookmobile, Wordsworth, at the RCLC, on National Bookmobile Day in 2016.
On April 19, 2021, we reached the milestone of selling 100 million books, so it only seemed fair that we should return to where it all began. In celebration of this milestone, Better World Books is making a grant of $10,000 to RCLC that will be used to support programs through the purchase of both new and used books.
The RCLC is very grateful to have received a $10,000 grant in honor of this occasion that we can spend on books from Better World Books—these books will support our literacy tutoring programs, the Robinson Shakespeare Company, the RCLC Preschool, the Talk with your Baby program, and book clubs for senior adults, for years to come.
Jennifer knapp beudert, manager of robinson community learning center
Once it becomes safe to do so, Better World Books looks forward to continuing this celebration with a tour of RCLC’s new space and an event where members of the community can receive free books from Wordsworth. We are honored to be associated with such an influential organization and are grateful for the opportunity to provide support for RCLC’s programs as a part of our celebration.
This is wonderful! This gift is a real gift to the greater community. Thank you BWB! I’ve been a proud customer for years.