The Weinberg Foundation today launched its 7th annual community-wide Book Drive in support of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project.
The Foundation has committed $10 million, of the total $30 million investment by all project partners, to build or transform up to 24 Baltimore City Public Schools libraries in an effort to strengthen academic achievement among students. To date, the Foundation and its more than 30 partners have completed 14 of these new spaces serving more than 6,000 students and their families.
In 2017, a record amount of more than $22,000 was collected through online and cash donations. With that, the Foundation was able to purchase nearly 3,000 brand new, hardcover children’s books for last year’s renovated school library at Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle. Those 3,000 books are in addition to the Foundation’s contribution of up to 4,000 books, as part of its commitment to each renovated school library.
Because online donations have proven to be the most effective, book collection bins will no longer be available at Baltimore-area businesses. This year, throughout the month of March, contributions to the Book Drive can be made by visiting www.baltimorelibraryproject.org and clicking Donate or by texting bookdrive18 to 41444. All purchases can be made securely with a credit/debit card, and 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the Book Drive.
Just $8 will buy a brand new, hardcover children’s book for this year’s Library Project school—James McHenry Elementary/Middle. The library grand opening at James McHenry is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2018.
To stay up-to-date on all Library Project Book Drive developments, visit www.baltimorelibraryproject.org, and follow #libraryproject on Facebook and Twitter.
