This is the whole point of Books For Kids Day!  Collect books for the Book Bank so we can give them to children, families, schools and organizations throughout the greater Baltimore area. Here are some tips to help....

Print Books for Kids Day flyers and materials here!

• Appoint a campaign coordinator. Select someone to set up boxes and to post Baltimore Reads Books for Kids Day 2011 flyers to promote the campaign. Also, designate one or more volunteers to deliver the collected books to Books for Kids Day on May 5th, 2011 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., rain or shine. 

• Publicize your book drive. Make sure everyone knows you’re hosting a book drive. Promotional materials are available by clicking here shortly. The materials include a general flyer on the Books for Kids Day campaign and a flyer for you to personalize with information on your organization’s book drive. Feel free to photocopy more flyers if needed. You can also promote your book drive in your organization’s newsletter, at meetings or through e-mail.

• Prepare your boxes. Use boxes that will be easy to pick up and move when filled with books. Place boxes in a location many people will pass by during the day.

• Check your boxes daily. As boxes fill, have more boxes on hand. Store the boxes in a safe place until they are ready to be delivered.

• Close your book drive. Make sure your organization’s name is printed on the outside of the boxes.  Please write the number of books inside each box somewhere on the outside of each box.

• Deliver your books. Bring your boxes of books to Books for Kids Day on May 5th, 2011 any time between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. - rain or shine. Books for Kids Day will be held at the parking lot of Polytechnic Institute/Western High Schools, Falls Road at Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore (Exit 9 off I83/Jones Falls Expressway). If needed, pick up for large quantities of books (exceeding 1,000) can be provided.

• Alternate delivery. If you can’t deliver your books on May 5th, please contact Mark Feiring at 410-752-3595 x1118 or by email at BookBank@baltimorereads.org to arrange an alternate delivery date to the Book Bank.

• Accept our thanks! The new and gently-used children’s books you donate will be distributed by the Baltimore Reads Book Bank to children who have no books of their own. Since its inception, the Baltimore Reads Book Bank has collected and distributed more than 1,400,000 books to low-income adults, children and families in our community. The success of our efforts is due largely to the generous support of organizations and people like you!