Donate Books
Dusty Reads collects new and gently used children’s books from a vast variety of sources. If you are interested in donating books, please contact us at Judy@dustyreads.com or via our facebook page.
Book Drives
Our plan is to acquire books from any source we can, largely by holding book drives and from local libraries that have pulled books from circulation. Multiple public libraries and Friends of the Library groups have donated books culled from the shelves. The Cleveland Kids Book Bank has been most generous in donating books that are to be dispersed to kids locally. The more books collected, the more that can be distributed into the hands of the children.
Donated Books
Locally Dusty Reads has donated books to several charter and public schools, preschools, daycares, shelters, churches and Little Library boxes. On an international level, Dusty Reads has partnered with the African Library Project (ALP) to establish multiple libraries with books ranging from preschool to 8th grade level. Our 1st library is in Njiza Primary School in Malawi, Africa. The school previously had no library or books in the classrooms. The village and surrounding communities will also have access to the library. Being very blessed with both monetary and book donations, Dusty Reads partnered with the ALP to establish a 2nd primary library in Sierra Leone. Thirteen boxes holding 1,219 books were delivered to SDA Primary Maforka in Sierra Leone. This primary school had no library, so this is also their first. Dusty Reads partnership with the ALP for our 3rd library was in Ghana where sixteen boxes carrying over 1,200 books (weighing 590#) were delivered to the Nyensobga DA Primary school. ALP library #4 is in Botswana, with 1,200 primary level books sent to Molebatsi Primary School. Dusty Reads sent 16 boxes of beautiful books to Emabheleni Primary School which is in a rural area of Swaziland (Eswatini) where the illiteracy rate is very high for our 5th ALP library. Library #6 in partnership with the ALP went to Ghana again, another 1200 books for Kurasua No. 1 Basic school. This was our first library of upper grade level books, being for readers from preschool thru 8th grade. Dusty Reads was contacted by the ALP about a few of their current libraries being sent to Botswana falling short of books. We packaged up and sent 520 books to help flush out these libraries, 452 going to D’Kar Primary School and 68 to Shanganani Junior Secondary School for library # 7, which is half a library. ALP library #8 was sent to Alia Primary School in Kenya, with 1200 books in all. Dusty Reads ALP partnered library #9 is in Uganda with books preschool thru 8th grade reading levels. These books are part of the first shipment of ALP libraries established in this African country. We sent half a library to Sierra Leone, with 602 books going to Yarah Primary School for library #10. Dusty Reads mailed ALP library #11 to Malawi, sending 1200 preschool thru 8th grade level books to Kadzakalowa Primary School. ALP library #12 was a half library of 670 books to Ombunyiri Primary School in Uganda. ALP library #13 was sent to Bolula Primary School in Lesotho to start a primary library open to the community. We mailed ALP library #14 to BFF Community school in Uganda. This library of preschool thru 8th grade level books will also be open to their surrounding community. Dusty Reads sent library #15 to Gates Academy in Kenya for students preschool thru 4th grade reading level. The ALP was in need of additional books of the secondary level, so library #16 was a supplement of 429 books going to Friends Secondary Yalusi school in Kenya. Library #17 was a half library going to Maranatha SDA Demonstration school in Ghana, books preschool thru 6th grade reading level. Library #18 is another half library, mailed to Namisunju Primary School in Malawi for students preschool thru 4th grade. Dusty Reads ALP library #19 was mailed to Uganda, a full library for students preschool thru 8th grade reading level to Victory Elementary. ALP library #20 was a half library sent to Lunza Catholic Primary School in Malawi, for students preschool thru 4th grade reading level. Library #21 was another half library to Malawi, this time preschool thru 8th grade level books to Darul Private Nursery and Primary School. Library #22 was mailed to Magoshi Primary School in South Africa for kids ages kindergarten to 4th grade, 1196 books in 15 boxes. In more recent partnership with the ALP a preschool half library of 618 books went to St Paul Primary School in Uganda for library #23. Dusty Read’s next African Library went to Ghana, 641 books to Adaklu Abuadi DA JHS for (half) library #24. Libraries #25 and #26 were also half libraries going to Malawi. Mtata Preschool Community Library consists of 605 books preschool thru second grade reading level and Mlare Secondary School is to receive 615 books 4th – 8th grade level. ALP partnership library #27 is a half library of 630 primary level books heading to Abram Sibasa Primary School in South Africa. ALP library #28 is winging it’s way to Mfupi RC Primary and Jr School in Kenya, carrying a half library of 639 books for kids preschool thru sixth grade. Learn more about the ALP at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezWkTeq42U. On a mission trip to India, 21 books were taken to the Rising Star school where they were used for reading instruction and are now part of their school library. On a local level, Dusty Reads has provided over 950 books to establish a library in an Orthodox Christian Outreach Center in Detroit, Mi. We donated 1,119 books to St Anthony of Padua Elementary School in Parma to help replace some of the library books they lost in a school fire. Dusty Reads has donated 869 books to Rahma Jr Academy in Cleveland to bolster their classroom shelves and library and 221 books to Kiddie Academy daycare in Broadview Heights. We have also established 2 Little Free Libraries, one in our front yard and the other at East Prep Academy in Cleveland, stocking them regularly.
To date 52,685 books have been donated to a variety of locations, both in the Cleveland area and abroad. Currently we are supporting several Little Libraries in the area by regularly adding books. Dusty Reads plans to continue sending libraries to Africa in partnership with the African Library Project in the future. Many more book donations to come!