Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Gimme! Coffee became the newest drop off center for the Family Reading Partnership's Bright Red Bookshelf last week.  A bright red collection box has been installed where coffee lovers can donate 'gently used' children's books that are distributed to area children for free. 

"Most of the bookshelves are at sites where families that have limited resources would have the most access," says Family Reading Partnership Program Coordinator Lisa Berry.  "The food pantries were a very easy partner to tap into.  We know families that are visiting there have the most limited resources.  We feel it's very important to give the nicest books possible."


A Bright Red Bookshelf came to Lansing last Fall, when the Lansing Food Pantry began distributing books as well as food at the United Methodist Church.  On the fourth Monday of each month (third Monday in November and December) Retired Lansing teacher Judy Hinderliter mans the bookshelf, getting children to take a book home with them.

"I'll nab children and say, 'Come look at the bookshelf,'" Hinderliter says.  "Or I'll nab their parents and say, 'Do you have youngsters at home?  Would you like to take a book home?'  Some folks say, 'Oh yes and I have lots of books at home and I'd like to bring some in.'  And they have."

Hinderliter reads to kids and encourages them to read to her.  She says kids love the bookshelf.  "It's a lot more fun to do than walking around with Mom and Dad getting food," she says.  "It's fun to look at books, and if you can engage them in a conversation about what they are interested in, it becomes more fun."

Berry calls 'The Bright Red Bookshelf' Family Reading Partnership's first sustainable program.  'Gently used' books are distributed to children throughout the county on red bookshelves placed in food pantries, charitable organizations, doctors' offices, the Cayuga Medical Center emergency room, the Sciencenter, child care centers, and the Ithaca city court and Ithaca Police station.  Since 1998 the program has sent more than 50,000 free books home with families throughout the county.  The Lansing Food Pantry gives awy between 20 and 30 books per month.


After you donate a book in bright red crates like the one at Gimme!, volunteers clean them and make sure they are in good shape for their next owner.  A silver 'Bright Red Bookshelf' sticker is placed on the book.  "It's always fun to see the silver stickers come back in the collection crates," Berry says.  "It's a testament to the children that have grown up with 'Bright Red Bookshelf' that so many chapter books come back.  Originally it was conceived for young children, but now there are as many chapter books as there are picture books."

The program came to Lansing last year when the organization brought its Big Red Reading Tent to the Lansing Harbor Festival last year.  The tent offered crafts, activities, and, of course, books.  Hinderliter hopes to get someone to sponsor a banner to put on the outside of the Lansing Gimme! Coffee to bring more attention to the program.

----
v5i11