For millions of students across the United States, their School Libraries are their first or only exposure to the wonderful, life-changing world of reading. But sadly, school library budgets across the country are being slashed more and more each year. So, school libraries need help buying books to fill their shelves and their students’ minds with the incredible stories they deserve. That’s where you come in!
On Tuesday December 3rd, help us support school libraries. For Giving Tuesday 2024, the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund is purchasing books for remarkable school libraries from across the United States. Each of these schools is unique and we know their stories will move you as they moved us. This program is part of our All Readers Welcome initiative, which supports school libraries around the United States.
Throughout the month of November and on Giving Tuesday, send in donations through our Stripe page to purchase books for these libraries. Every single dollar donated will go to purchasing books.
Spokane, Washington
Glover is one of the most ethnically and socio-economically diverse schools in Spokane. Our students are directly impacted by issues affecting our neighborhood community, including homelessness, drug use, and trauma. This year, our school went cell-phone free. As a result, our book check-outs have increased dramatically. Glover’s principal says, “Our library circulation has exploded! Kids are filling their free time by reading books again.” Passes to come to the library are a hot commodity. We can see evidence of our students’ voracious appetites for books in the large gaps visible on our shelves.
“We do not currently have a budget for our library, therefore buying books to add to our collection isn’t an option right now,” the librarian adds. “That makes being able to provide students with the books they want and relate to a huge challenge.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Suffolk, Virginia
Lakeland’s school library serves almost 1,500 students, yet their annual book budget averages out to less than a dollar per student. This makes it difficult to acquire the depth and breadth of materials that would best benefit student learning. Not to mention, the average age of their collection is 2008, making library materials older than many of the students who use them.
Of their school, the librarian says:
“This book infusion will give students a reason to want to come to school— to have access to these books—while also adding to their learning. By increasing the titles we have that highlight and feature marginalized and underrepresented stories, these books can help to address some of the issues regarding the historical and persistent segregation that we face.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Sacramento, California
El Centro is a middle and high school serving 163 incarcerated students. The library—located behind multiple security checkpoints—loans out more than 150 books per week. That amounts to just about a book per student per week. The incredible, dedicated librarian aims to increase the number of socially conscious titles on their shelves, prioritizing the voices of historically underrepresented communities. Overall, she seeks to reduce recidivism and prepare youth in custody for re-entering their lives outside, disrupting the school to prison pipeline.
Of her work, the librarian says:
“The reason I am here is the young people. At the end of the day, they are beautiful humans capable of remarkable and fulfilling things. Right now they are on a journey through hardship. At this moment, though, they are in our library and that gives them new windows to look out. These books are for our young people and there is nothing more powerful in the life of the individual than a book.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Rochester, Minnesota
Riverside Central Elementary is a diverse school serving a deeply engaged community of students and their families with a focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services, and community development.
Riverside’s dedicated librarian says, “It has been my goal over the last five years to develop our Media Center into a welcoming space where our students can see themselves and their community represented. However, our library collection is outdated. In the last four years, thousands of books had to be removed from the collection due to age, lack of circulation, and outdated representation of diverse communities. We also conducted a diversity survey and found that, of the books that were audited, only 9% were considered diverse. With over 70% of our students being students of color, our collection does not reflect our school. It is a priority for me to purchase books that are more representative of our community.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Naco, Arizona
Naco Elementary School is located in the small border town of Naco, Arizona. The school
has approximately 300 students, who primarily come from Naco, Sonora—a town just over the border in Mexico. Though all Naco Elementary students are U.S. citizens, most of them live in Mexico and walk to Arizona every single day to attend school.
“The students that attend Naco Elementary come to school with very little exposure to literacy and books,” says the school librarian. “The lack of early childhood education is very apparent. Some students come into our school having never owned a book. Regardless of the challenges some families face, they are the most dedicated and hardworking students I have ever met. The students have a beautiful and rich culture and are ready to share it with everyone they
meet.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Decatur, Georgia
At McNair—an elementary school—many students come from either single parent families or are raised by their grandparents. A good number of students come to school with angst due to what goes on outside of school. McNair’s school community has a high poverty rate which encompasses challenges such as drugs, gangs, and unsafe environments. The school has asked for social emotional books for their library to help their students understand their feelings and how to cope with those feelings.
“Last week, I shared I Am a Tornado with my students. The book’s hidden message is how to manage your anger. The students loved the book because it’s so good, but also because we discussed how to respond when you get mad, which really resonated with students.I hope to get more books like this, so we can discuss anger management,” said McNair’s librarian.
She continued:
“Last year, a student was killed while at home playing with another group of students. This left a lasting impression on all the students who live in that apartment complex including his brother in first grade, who is having a hard time coping with his feelings. This grant will be used in honor of this family and all affected by this horrific event in hope to provide some help to them.”
DONATE HERE to support these schools!
Butte, Montana
East Middle School hosts over 600 students from Butte, a mining community deep in the mountains of western Montana. You may have heard of Butte as home to one of the largest EPA Superfund sites in the U.S., and a major trafficking area for fentanyl and other illegal drugs. Many of the school’s students come from low-income families and thanks to a recent grant, all of our students are eligible for free or reduced meals this year. The citizens of Butte have worked hard to build the school despite the community’s many struggles, but help is always needed.
East Middle’s librarian notes: “Books allow our students an opportunity to escape the often harsh trials they face in their daily lives. Books help educate our students, exposing them to new words and differing perspectives. Receiving funds to increase the number of books in our school library would be a blessing to our students.”