“Reader To Reader is such a simple idea and such a farsighted one – provide books for students of all ages who don’t have them.   I can’t think of a worthier endeavor or one that will have a more profound effect.”

— Norton Juster
Author, The Phantom Tollbooth

Run A Reader To Reader Book Drive!

Welcome to Reader To Reader:

Based on the campus of Amherst College, Reader To Reader, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to bringing books, free of charge, to needy school libraries and public libraries across the United States.

Fact: 60% of underprivileged children do not own a single book.

This makes a well-stocked school library a critical resource hub that is a necessity not a luxury.

Who We Serve:

Reader To Reader serves the nation’s poorest communities, including inner-city schools, Native American Reservations, and poor rural towns, where the need for books is acute.

Results

Over 1,200,000 books shipped to rebuild school libraries devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Over 400 under-resourced across the U.S. receive books from the Reader To Reader program throughout their school year.

Major Reader To Reader initiatives in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Louisiana, rural Mississippi, Detroit, Michigan; Massachusetts; rural Maine; the Navajo Reservation; and Compton, California.

Our Mentoring Programs

Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program

This innovative mentoring program brings together children from low-income backgrounds and college student reading mentors to read books and discuss them online in a specially designed forum. The students not only receive positive feedback and academic support, but also much-needed role models.

Navajo Mentoring Program

This special program links Navajo high school students with Amherst College student reading mentors to read books and discuss them online in a specially designed forum. In addition, the read mentors travel to the Navajo reservation in order to work one to one with the students and to learn firsthand about Navajo life and culture. The Navajo students then spend a week at Amherst College learning about the college experience about a wide variety of career options first hand from scientists, doctors, lawyers, writers and artists. The goal of the trip is to motivate them to attend college; to give them an understanding of the college application process; and to help them see that academic achievement in high school is the key to success in college.

What They Say About Us

You have sent many more books to us in the past month than we would have been able to buy in a year. What a steal. I love all the reference books. The encyclopedia is more current than anything we have. The science reference will go out on display. We will make an open "v" display rack for it. All the other large dictionaries and reference books are on display--the shop classes make oak display racks for them. Everything was great. I really look forward to opening the packages. This has become a very personal connection for all of us. The teachers are using all the paperback books the library doesn't take. One of my students actually shook my hand when I gave him a paperback horror story. Some of the kids here never get to own a book. We really do appreciate everything you do for us.

Carla Clauschee Librarian
Navajo Pine High School
Navajo, New Mexico

Although we have received many donations in the past, your project is the first to seriously try to match the donated books to the needs of our library. You even check the online catalog in order to reduce needless duplication!

Judith A. Campbell, Dean of Library Services
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke, MA

Thanks for filling our library with good and needful books. You're the greatest for looking out for us! The students of John Essex will be sending you their thanks.

Loretta F. McCoy, Principal
John Essex School
Demopolis, AL

Your contributions don't just fill in where extras are needed, they are the core of what we have to lend to students.

Anne Carey, Librarian
Duggan Middle School
Springfield, MA

How You Can Help?

Please help us with a tax deductible donation of books or a monetary donation to help us defray the cost of collecting, sorting and shipping books. You can donate by mail or online.

To make a tax deductible monetary donation online using your credit card please click on our secure PayPal donation button.

To mail your donation of books or monetary donation please send to:

Reader To Reader, Inc.
c/o Cadigan Center
38 Woodside Avenue
Amherst, MA 01002
413-256-8595

Contact Person:
David Mazor, Executive Director
email: dmazor@readertoreader.org

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Support for Reader To Reader comes from donors across the United States and:

The Posel Foundation
The David Katz Foundation
The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America
Ken Lopez - Bookseller
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Amherst College
Pelland Advertising
Office Depot
The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation
The Xeric Foundation
Target Stores
CVS Charitable Trust
Laemmle Theatres Charitable Foundation
Glamour Magazine
Verizon Foundation
Barry Lopez
Robert Stone
Peter Matthiesen
The Estate of Pauline Kael
United Bank
Paul Newman
John Larroquette
John Logan
Richard Prince
Bekins Van Lines
The Massachusetts Movers Association
The DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund
Random House
The Global Fund for Children
VIZ Media
The Literacy Company
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Xerox Corporation
Bank of America
Comcast
Modern Publishing
Creative Quill Publishing
Charlesbridge Publishing
DailyLit
PeoplesBank
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Pitney Bowes Employee Involvement Fund
Monique F. Rea
The Hiatt Family