AMSA MEMBERS COLLECT BOOKS TO SPREAD GLOBAL LITERACY

In the last year AMSA members have collected over 10,000 books to help spread global literacy. A majority of these books have gone to support Books for Africa and help end the book famine in Africa. Better World Books is incredibly thankful for these successful book drives and hope the new school year will bring twice as many books from the AMSA community.

In 2006 Sonia Sosa approached Better World Books about starting a book drive with AMSA to support global literacy efforts in Africa through the non-for-profit organization, Books for Africa. At the '06 National Convention this drive raised 500 books in just a few days. Michael A. Casey succeeded Sonia in her position and saw the opportunity to take her dream and build upon it. During the months to come he would turn her efforts into a nation wide book drive that spanned the country with drives at 28 schools and an additional 10,500 books collected. Thanks to all the books AMSA has collected Books for Africa can fund the shipment of 30,000 books to Africa, enough to fill 15 schools!

These book drives are truly making a difference in the lives of impoverished people. Books collected in a Better World Books/AMSA drive will either be sold to raise much-needed funding for Books for Africa, or they will be sent to their collection center for shipping overseas. Pat Plonski, Executive Director, Books for Africa, notes, "By increasing African literacy, we decrease African poverty. Every book donated by a student or a bookstore puts us that much closer to ending the African book famine."

Better World Books and AMSA encourage you to lead a book drive at your school. Besides the obvious benefit of helping a deserving non-profit literacy organization your AMSA chapter will financially benefit by receiving 50 cents per "qualified book." An additional $.15 per qualified book will be set aside for an AMSA fellowship.

Better World Books has provided $3420 to chapters, and has allocated $1056.75 for a travel scholarship to Africa. The hope is to make improving literacy in Africa an everyday, every chapter effort that expands each year. With increasing book collections we hope to have a growth of this fellowship to fund not only travel but support promising students in their development of an on the ground literacy initiative in Africa.

About Better World Books
Better World Books capitalizes on the value of the book to fund and support literacy initiatives locally, nationally, and around the world. Organized as a for-profit social venture, Better World Books measures its success in terms of social, environmental, and economic impact. Since its founding in 2003, Better World Books has raised more than $2.3 million in funding for non-profit literacy programs, provided more than 570,500 books for direct use, diverted in excess of 5,250 tons of books from landfills, and created more than 130 full-time jobs with full benefits. In addition, Better World Books has raised over $850,000 for student groups leading book drives on their campuses. For more information, visit betterworldbooks.com or contact campus@betterworldbooks.com.

HOW TO SET UP A BOOK DRIVE AT YOUR CHAPTER

Partner with Better World Books to collect unwanted textbooks on your campus. Better World Books provides everything you’ll need, and covers the cost of shipping. Plus, your AMSA chapter will earn $.50 per qualifying book collected, and the books will be utilized to help literacy programs around the world like Books for Africa. And, since literacy rates and public health levels are correlated, you're also helping those less fortunate live healthier lives. It's miraculous what can be done with unwanted college books!

Better World Books has Regional Directors (RD) across the country, dedicated to helping guide your collection efforts; to locate the RD for your area, and get started collecting books, visit: www.betterworldbooks.com/Region/.

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Today, Better World Books continues to be the leader in converting donated books into funding that supports world literacy efforts. In addition to its college and university textbook drives, Better World Books now works with libraries and other book sources with the goal of promoting literacy. The Better World Books team looks forward to the promise of the future and to continued growth and success with the help of its partners.