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SALT LAKE CITY -- A unique partnership brings thousands of desperately needed books to Utah elementary school library shelves -- but it's where the books come from that help make the program unique.
Many Utah families have books sitting at home they no longer use. The Reading Tree helps distribute those books to needy elementary schools.
"We never have enough money and never have enough books in education," said Adam Eskelson, principal at Nibley Park Elementary in Salt Lake City.
The half-empty shelves at the school look better than they used to. Nibley Park isn't the first Title 1 school where kids couldn't find anything they hadn't already read.
With 5,000 new books, they now have a better selection.
Eskelson is grateful. "It's great when you are able to make partnerships like we have with Reading Tree," he said.
"When we can go into an elementary school and provide books, it's like their birthday, it's like Christmas for these kids," said Reading Tree Director Jeff McMullen.
Reading Tree places huge donation bins around the state. Then, the gently used books come to a sorting warehouse. Many are re-distributed to schools where they're needed most.
"It's primarily kids at Title 1 schools where they don't have access to books in their home," McMullen said.
The donated books that don't suit the need are recycled, shredded and turned into grocery sacks. So the program helps the environment, helps people de-clutter and, most of all, it gives kids access to a vital resource.
"So the question is, what chance do our kids have at greatness if they don't have access to books?" McMullen said.
The KSL Book Festival at the University of Utah on Aug. 28 is a great opportunity to donate books. The event is free, and Reading Tree will match every book donated at the festival.
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
