The Gift Of Literacy: Give a Kid a Book Drive Returns Through Dec. 15
monetary donations as well as books for babies, youths and those written in Spanish or Hmong are sought after
Between 2020 and 2024, the Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s annual Give a Kid a Book program has received and distributed nearly 20,000 books. This year the program hopes Chippewa Vallians continue to show up for its local literacy efforts.
Give a Kid a Book will accept donations – new children’s books and monetary donations – now through Dec. 15.
Though there is no list of specific titles the drive seeks out, general suggested books include board books for babies, picture books for those ages two to five, fiction and nonfiction books for youths ages six to 18, as well as books written in Spanish and Hmong.
Donations to the local Give a Kid a Book program have been relatively stable, Program and Development Coordinator Stacy Yearous said. In 2022 – the peak in terms of donated books over the past five years – the program saw 4,919 donated books. (Graph by Volume One)
Youth literacy is at the heart of the Friends organization, which serves both the Eau Claire public library and the wider Chippewa Valley community.
“The Friends have two self-funded literacy programs that provide thousands of new books to children in our community each year,” Library Program and Development Coordinator Stacy Yearous said. “The cost of books is out of reach for many families in our community.
“Give a Kid a Book helps address this barrier by partnering agencies that serve low-income families to provide children’s books for these families,” she added.
Wisconsin’s most recent “report card” – the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's annual academic standards report, which includes reading assessment data – revealed the average reading score of eighth graders across the state was on par (and slightly above) the national average. However, students who were identified as economically disadvantaged had an average score that was 25 points lower than those who were not identified as such.
Folks can donate new children’s books at in-person locations including the Friends’ library location (level 0) and at the bear display on level one of the library; at Books-A-Million (4030 Commonwealth Ave., Eau Claire) through Dec. 7. Monetary donations may be mailed (Attn: GAKAB 400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire WI 54701) or submitted online.
"Our goal is to instill the joy of reading into our local kids by igniting their imaginations," Nancy Sowls, chair of the Give a Kid a Book program, said in a recent media release.
The annual literacy program is supported by Eau Claire's Books-A-Million and Royal Credit Union alongside over a dozen partner agencies who help distribute donated books.
Learn more about or donate to Give a Kid a Book program online at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/friends/programs/give-a-kid-a-book/. The Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library has a physical location at the library (400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire).
