What a blast going mobile to engage with the community and collect three tons of books on back-to-back days.  A big thanks to our friends at BookMates for hosting at the JCC on Thursday, and to the Promenade for partnering with BookSmiles and the AWA to collect book and pet supplies on a  gorgeous Friday afternoon.

Diane McCauley Cummins, 2003-4 NJ State Teacher of the Year had a vision: get rock star teachers to volunteer their time in the Book Bank with Rowan University student teachers. Everyone had a blast - laughing, sharing, and learning about BookSmiles' mission - to outfit every teacher with a classroom library and to get a library into the homes of children who need books.
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Imagine what we can do in a larger book bank:
🔵Several dozen educators can have meaningful and impactful in-service sessions.
🔵The Book Bank can serve as a place for teachers from all over Philly and New Jersey to mingle, socialize, and network.
🔵All new teachers from around the region can handpick a classroom library.

Larry drove the van two hours to William Paterson University of New Jersey to give 5000 books away to soon-to-graduate teachers. The University made a nominal donation to defray the cost of the books and transportation.

Are you a teacher who had to forage through Goodwill's shelves, paying a couple dollars per book for your classroom library? Or did you have to pounce on books at yard sales and library book sales? The new generation doesn't have to do this!

Founded by a high school English teacher, BookSmiles makes teachers' lives easier, providing as many books as a teacher can carry away. When we're not distributing at teaching colleges, we open the Book Bank every Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon for teachers to browse.A $35 yearly donation allows entry to the Book Bank all year long. Register here: BookSmiles.org
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But it takes a department head to initiate something like this. Thanks for inviting us Professor Margaret Renn!

Here is our Carter Fichter, our Estate Manager.

It's been a very busy December as we approach our 4,000,000th book distributed.  And what a pleasure to spread book-joy with new friends, David Adelman and Rahim and Tanisha Thompson of the Thompson Family Foundation.

A few days before, Larry and Emily had a great time distributing books at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, in parallel with a coat giveaway by the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia. The Jalen Hurts Foundation purchased beautiful coats, and it was so great meeting Bree Hurts.  Thanks for the invite, Justin and Rachel Fishman!

Tigris Foundation broke a record! They coordinated a POWERFUL drive that filled our truck TWICE in one day - harvesting 14 overloaded pallets of grown-up and kids books - about 16,000 total. They made it into a dynamic community event, harnessing the help of elected officials, neighbors, and the host - Upper Dublin Lutheran Church.

​We will trade adult books for their weight/bulk in used kids books.
We encourage faith-based communities to across NJ and the Philly region to stage similar book drives.

On a beautiful fall Sunday, 226 runners and walkers came out for our 3rd Annual 5K.  We raised $25,000, so a big shout out to our sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and supporters.

Princeton takes books and education very seriously.  That's why we're thrilled that Littlebrook Elementary has created a collection station for kids and grown-up books. 

Today Larry explained to first graders that they can now share their books with other children who lack access.  And the word of the day was ACCESS.

What better way to start the school year than to have a visit from educator/author Hallee Adelman.  She and the BookSmiles crew put on a party! Fifty Philly teachers enjoyed an evening of food, raffles, golden-ticket prizes, and free books!