Posted 9:19 pm Sunday, July 22, 2012
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LCOT Putting More Books Into The Hands Of ET Children
Put a book in the hand of a child and that child continues the process of learning to read. For some, it launches a love for the written word and the adventures within books that last a lifetime.
Families living in poverty often don't have money to spend on children's books. The majority of low-income families have no children's books in their homes, according to statistics cited by the Literacy Council of Tyler.
LCOT is putting books in the hands of more children from low-income families in a project called Bill's Bookshelf.
Bill Holmes was a professor, author and lover of books who volunteered at the LCOT for more than 15 years and gave tens of thousands of hours of his time to help others learn to read.
When Mr. Holmes died at age 80, his family and many friends made donations to LCOT on his behalf. Through these donations, Bill's Bookshelf was born. It provides new or gently used children's books free to families in the community.
The bookshelves are placed at sites where low-income families have easy access to them. Children are invited to choose a book to keep, says Hallye Terrell, LCOT's community relations coordinator.
Currently Bill's Bookshelves are set up at St. Paul's Children's Clinic, Bethesda Health Clinic and the WIC office on North Broadway Avenue.
According to LCOT's website, people can contribute to the project in several ways.
Hold a Book Drive: A great service project for schools, churches, scouts or other organizations, groups can collect new or gently used books for children up to age 8.
Become a Bookshelf Caretaker: Each bookshelf is assigned a caretaker, an individual or group, willing to maintain the bookshelf and restock as needed.
Screen Bookshelf Books: A great opportunity for volunteers of any age. Books are screened for age appropriateness and damage then stamped with the Bill's Bookshelf sticker.
Host a Bookshelf or Become a Collection Site: Additional bookshelf sites are available and collecting books is a great way to get involved.
