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ABAA Donation Boosts Reader To Reader Program
Amherst, MA -- November 15, 2003 -- Reader to Reader, a nonprofit charitable organization that sends books, free of charge, to needy libraries around the country has received a $1,000 donation from the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA). "Reader to Reader is an operation that deserves wide support. It aims to get good books in every field to students and communities that otherwise would not have any access to them. It is an incredibly efficient operation, and a $1,000 donation could underwrite the shipment of as many as 100 boxes of books to libraries that are starved for them," said Ken Lopez, President of ABAA. "Reader to Reader is making a difference in thousands of students' lives, and improving access to books in dozens of communities around the country, including some of the poorest ones. We are happy and proud to support that effort." Reader to Reader survives on the basis of donations, and among the supporters of the organization so far have been such notable authors as Peter Matthiessen and Robert Stone, as well as the Estate of Pauline Kael, the longtime New Yorker film critic. Emmy Award-winning actor John Larroquette has also been a generous supporter of Reader to Reader. “Support from the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America has special meaning to us, notes Reader to Reader’s executive director, David Mazor. “The ABAA not only appreciates books in general, but also understands their unique timelessness, and their support speaks volumes about the value of Reader To Reader’s mission. We are dedicated to bringing books, free of charge, to needy libraries around the United States, and it is our belief that books have a singular power to inspire and change people’s lives.” More information on Reader to Reader: Reader to Reader is a nonprofit charitable organization that is devoted to sending good books, free of charge, to the nation's neediest libraries. Dave Mazor, of Amherst, Massachusetts, started it in the fall of 2002 and has already shipped over 30,000 books to more than 60 of the poorest libraries in the country from rural schools in Mississippi to inner city high schools in Louisiana and Massachusetts, to the Navajo, Pine Ridge and Arapahoe reservations, and to small, underfunded colleges across the country. The program works by means of a continuous process of feedback and dialogue, so that schools receive what they need, not simply what someone somewhere wants to get rid of: the Navajo school library has built up its poetry section; a high school in Demopolis, Alabama, has gotten dozens of books on music; African-American history and literature has gone to school districts that are 98% black, with 100% of the students on the federally subsidized school lunch program; Native American reservations have received literature by Indian writers and books on Native American history and culture. The schools' needs are diverse: some want more science books; others want popular literature, science fiction or even romance novels. Some want how-to books; others want the classics. In all cases, Reader to Reader tries to find out what the schools need and get those books to them so that the effectiveness of the program, and its impact on the school districts it serves, can be the greatest, with the least amount of effort involved for the schools themselves. Reader to Reader is run by Dave Mazor and a small handful of volunteers. The program has been growing steadily, adding new schools every month, attempting to team up with local businesses to increase efficiency in distributing the books, and is looking to continue to grow by putting in place models of recycling and distribution that can be transported to other regions and emulated again and again. Reader to Reader needs donations to pay for basic supplies boxes, tape, etc. shipping, and other costs. Individual and institutional donations can make a huge difference in keeping this program going, and growing, and are tax deductible. Reader to Reader is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Donations can be made online at the website and monetary donations or book contributions can also be sent to:
Reader To Reader
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