Give Back, Give Books is Rochester Education Foundation's program to give books to city school students to take home or for city school libraries. Launched in 2006, we accept and distribute new

books, encourage exciting literacy events with book

distributions, and engage more community members

in this effort.

Please contact us if you would like to donate new books, create a book drive at your workplace or school, or participate in a literacy event giving books to young people.

To date REF has proudly donated more than 20,000 new books to help build the home libraries of city students, and to city school libraries. In honor of our efforts, REF received the Friend of the Library Award in June 2008 from the Rochester School Library Association.

Our Teachers' Choice application process offers new books to Rochester City School District teachers, librarians and not-for-profit groups serving city students. Applications will be accepted from Feb. 8 through Feb. 26th for the Spring 2010 distribution process through which a minimum of 2,500 new books will be distributed. To apply at that time, click on the Teachers' Choice link above or to the left.

A total of 4200 new books have been donated through Teachers' Choice since its launch in Spring 2009. Applicants can apply for up to 200 new books apiece. All books donated for teacher projects are required to be given to students for their home libraries by the end of the school year.

Students and teachers have responded enthusiastically. As a teacher directing a high school student book club at lunchtime noted: "They were very excited to see what books were available, especially those in a series. They built relationships with others and were anxious to find out what book was next. They used each other as resources and engaged in conversation about the books. Students involved in the club were also the best-behaved students in class."

Give Back, Give Books has also:

• Donated books about civil rights and justice to five school libraries.
• Donated a new birthday book to each student at School 16.
• Worked with city school librarians to distribute literacy calendars donated to 5,000 city students by Wegmans.

Primary supporters of Give Back, Give Books in 2010 are the Rochester City School District, the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation, BJ's Charitable Foundation, Time Warner, Rep. Susan John, the Brighter Days Foundation, the M & T Bank Foundation, Rep. Joseph Robach and Target. Major in-kind book donations have been made by United Way, Borders Book Store in Victor, Temple Sinai, University of Rochester Health Service, Kodak Corporate Business Research Division.

Did you know that...

• Many city school students do not have books at home.
• The average fiction book in city school libraries is about 20 years old.
• Providing books to children and school libraries is a proven way to help students become more successful academically and in the future.

Help us make a difference.