Enough books to fill 35 boxes and the cab and the bed of a mid-size pickup truck were donated by UNM staff, students, faculty and others to the citywide Read To Me Book Drive, which ended April 15.
More than a thousand children’s books were collected at the UNM Human Resources Service Center on Lomas Blvd. Others were left at campus libraries and offices.
The new and used books will now be sorted and categorized by volunteers before they are distributed. Last year, 14,000 books were placed in the hands of children at 60 Albuquerque schools and community sites.
The Read To Me Book Drive, sponsored by the Albuquerque Business Education Compact, builds a foundation for developing literacy skills. Collected books will be given to elementary school children in families with limited resources.
Information about the Albuquerque Libraries Summer Reading Program will also be provided to children and families.
The kickoff event for this year’s effort was held at the UNM Children’s Campus March 1 and featured celebrity readers and pre-school children.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
Posted by kwentworth at April 21, 2006 01:31 PM