FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BETTER WORLD BOOKS DONATES £20,000 TO LOCAL LITERACY PROGRAMMES IN UK AND $40,000 IN NORTH AMERICA

Dunfermline, Scotland, U.K. March 2, 2023—Better World Books (BWB), the world’s leading socially conscious online bookseller, announces the donation of £20,000 to fourteen (14) organisations and schools in the UK and a further donation of $40,000.00 to fifteen (15) organisations and schools in North America.

President and CEO of Better World Books, Dustin Holland, noted that “Better World Books is proud to support local organisations who believe in the power of knowledge. BWB remains committed to education, literacy, and access to information.  These deserving and trailblazing organisations deserve our recognition and financial support.”

Ginger Patton-Schmitt, EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, and Executive Sponsor of the Better World Books Literacy Council underscore that “Better World Books is thrilled to provide local literacy grants to such a wide variety of deserving projects.  Each project is unique in its particular focus and aligned with our corporate mission, and each is focused on making an impact with regard to access to information and to literacy.”

Better World Books historically has donated over 35 million books, has raised over $34 million for literacy and libraries, and has managed the reuse or recycling of over 447 million books.

In August 2022, all Better World Books employees were given the opportunity to nominate an outstanding organisation local to them that is working to improve literacy and to expand access to education. The Better World Books Literacy Council reviewed and contacted twenty-nine (29) nominated organisations and selected the following organisations globally to receive local literacy grants:

Recipients local to Better World Books Dunfermline, Scotland, Facility:

• Perth College–Awarded £2,500 for its ESOL book club.
• SHAX–Awarded £2,500 for emergency home starter packs for people in crisis.
• Scottish Book Trust–Awarded £2,000 to Reading is Caring, a programme that uses reading to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.
• Sustainable Communities Initiative–Awarded £1,000 for educational game resources for schools and communities.
• Columba’s RC High School–Awarded £500 to provide reading material to children.
• ANGUSalive–Awarded £500 for library bookstock related to living through economic crisis.
• The Briggers–Awarded £500 for Forth Bridge-related workshops.

Recipients local to Better World Books UK remote workers:

• Bristol Libraries–Awarded £2,500 for Sensory Spaces, providing boxes for people with autism.
• Brent Libraries–Awarded £2,500 for Style to Remember project, helping Caribbean people with dementia.
• Sheffield Libraries–Awarded £2,000 to its autism project, providing literacy in a more calm space.
• Dudley Libraries–Awarded £1,000 to train staff in Makaton to complement Rattle and Rhyme
• Emmaus Oxford–Awarded £1,000, supporting the homeless community and access to education.
• Coventry College–Awarded £1,000 for its ESOL and fiction projects.
• NWAMI–Awarded £500 for integrating through education and cultural engagement.

Recipients local to Better World Books Mishawaka Indiana, Facility:

• Our Stories, Our Future Inc.–Awarded $4,000 to supply diverse literature to youth affiliated organisations/individuals in the greater South Bend, Indiana, community.
• Parkside Elementary–Awarded $2,500 to increase its collection of Spanish language books and age-specific graphic novels
• Indianapolis Colts–Awarded $2,500 to support its Books for Youth

Recipients local to Better World Books Reno, Nevada, Facility:

• Reed High School–Awarded $2,500 to purchase books and materials for the environmental science department.
• Pinecrest Academy of Northern Nevada–Awarded $2,000 to provide a safe and nurturing environment that maximises student achievement and fosters respect for all.
• Mount Rose Elementary–Awarded $1,500 to support general education.

Recipients local to Better World Books York, Pennsylvania, Facility:

• Leg Up Farm–Awarded $4,000 to provide support and customized programmes to the autistic community.
• Collinsville Community Library–Awarded $3,500 for general library support.
• Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12–Awarded $2,500 for its autistic support classroom.
• Little Friendships Pre-School–Awarded $1,000 for general education support.

Recipients local to Better World Books North America remote workers:

• Truancy Intervention Project–Awarded $5,000 for its project to decrease chronic absenteeism by pairing trained volunteers with children and their families.
• City of Refuge-J17 Fund–Awarded $3,000 to provide financial assistance to minority students choosing to attend college or a technical school upon graduation.
• Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta–Awarded $3,000 for general education support.
• Perfect Generation Ministries–Awarded $2,000 for its tutoring and mentoring services for 4th graders.
• Shoal Creek Elementary–Awarded $1,000 for its agricultural science project, including the school’s community garden.

About Better World Books

Better World Books (https://www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit, socially conscious business and a global online bookseller that collects and sells new and used books online, matching each purchase with a book donation. Each sale generates funds for literacy and education initiatives in the U.S., the UK, and around the world. Since its launch in 2003, Better World Books has raised $34 million for libraries and literacy, donated over 35 million books, and reused or recycled more than 447 million books. The awarded grants were made possible by the Better World Books General Literacy Fund that underwrites the donation initiatives of Better World Books. This fund, supported by global library clients, allows for libraries to support libraries and to increase their impact through Better World Books partnerships. For more information about Better World Books, contact Michael Kappes, Senior Manager of Customer Experience and Client Services, at [email protected] or at (574) 334-5826.

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