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Donate books to raise funds for literacy on World Book Day
23 Feb 2011
Online retailer Better World Books and charity the National Literacy Trust will hold a community book collection in Glasgow to celebrate World Book Day (3 March) this year.
The book drive at Hillhead Library in Glasgow will give the local community the opportunity to donate their used books, with funds going to the National Literacy Trust and the respective library. The book collection will ensure people know their pre-loved books are going to a worthwhile cause and reinforce the image of the library as key to the community and literacy in the UK. In the past, book drives have also had huge success increasing library membership.
Better World Books is a retailer that sells books online to raise money for leading literacy charities in the UK. The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. The two organisations have been working together with the shared goals of putting books into the hands of everyone, but particularly those who may not have otherwise discovered the joys of reading.
Jonathan Douglas, Director at the National Literacy Trust says:
“Better World Books have worked with us since 2008 to support our work. This World Book Day we want to celebrate this great partnership, and the importance of libraries. We also hope the book drive in Glasgow will help to raise funds for our work to support the literacy of children and adults from disadvantaged communities.”
“One in six people in the UK struggle to read and write. Poor skills compromise health, confidence, happiness and employability. It is for this reason that book drives and interest in libraries must be encouraged, and World Book Day is the perfect time to shine the spotlight on literacy issues in the UK.“
John Ujda, VP of Marketing at Better World Books, says:
"An important part of what we do as a socially responsible business is support literacy in local communities and worldwide. Working with our key strategic partners such as the National Literacy Trust helps us do more...for more. Books collected during World Book Day as well as books purchased at BetterWorldBooks.co.uk will help raise money for The National Literacy Trust, the local library and other literacy charities. So whether you are passing on an old favourite or purchasing a new one to cherish, you'll be contributing to literacy in your area and around the world."
Other events happening to celebrate World Book Day include a lecture in memory of National Literacy Trust founder, Sir Simon Hornby, on the eve of World Book Day (2 March). The lecture will be chaired by Baroness Usha Prashar, CBE with keynote speaker the best selling author Anthony Horowitz. Members of the public are invited to attend, but numbers are limited so if you are interested in attending please RSVP to Diana Stewart on Diana.stewart@literacytrust.org.uk. Attendance is free, but donations are invited on the night. You can find more details on www.literacytrust.org.uk
Ends
Please donate only gently used books (No magazines, encyclopedias, law reviews, grade or high school text books, Readers Digest Condensed Books, Journals or Legal Documents).
Thursday, 3 March 2011, World Book Day
Hillhead Library
348 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8AP
12pm - 6pm
*Any book not sold will be recycled responsibly or donated to a literacy charity. Better World Books will sell the books online with a portion of every sale benefiting Glasgow Libraries and The National Literacy Trust.
For more information about the National Literacy Trust, please contact Anna Lindsay, Public Relations Officer on 020 7820 6256 or email Anna.Lindsay@literacytrust.org.uk.
Notes to Editors
1. About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society. We campaign to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support.
To help us transform lives through literacy, you can make a donation or support our work. To find out how visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/support
National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486. Registered in England and Wales. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842.
Better World Books is a socially and environmentally responsible bookseller. They collect unwanted books and sell them online in support of various charities, including the National Literacy Trust. Those they can’t sell they re-home or recycle.
Its UK operation was set up in October 2008, and is based at its Dunfermline distribution centre. Its non-profit partners in the UK include the National Literacy Trust. Since its opening, the company's UK arm has raised over £150,000 for local libraries and global literacy, re-using or recycling over 1,000,000 books.
Buy your books from Better World Books to help fund our work.
To celebrate the launch of their UK website, www.betterworldbooks.co.uk are offering our supporters a 10% discount off purchases of two or more books when you enter this code on the purchase page: BWB4NLT. Your purchases could also help us to win a further grant of £1,000 from Better World Books. The retailer collects and sells a wide range of books to generate funds for literacy causes such as ours, with the UK site offering over a million new and used titles, as well as free delivery. Get shopping! [http://www.betterworldbooks.co.uk/]
