The Great American Book Drive Returns to the Brooklyn Public Library by Popular Demand

The Great American Book Drive Returns to the
Brooklyn Public Library by Popular Demand

NEW YORK, NY (April 27, 2009) -Brooklyn Public Library, in partnership with socially conscious online used bookseller Better World Books, will host its popular "Great American Book Drive" on Saturday, May 16th from 10AM to 3PM at Central Library at 10 Grand Army Plaza. The drive, which collected 15,000 books at its October 2008 event, will once again call on community members to clean out their shelves and donate their old books to help raise funds for the Brooklyn Public Library.

After neighbors drop off their books, Better World Books will sell the titles to used book shoppers online. As part of its socially conscious business model, Better World Books then shares a portion of those revenues with the library - effectively combining the power of community fundraisers with the efficiency of e-commerce to promote reuse and generate revenue.

The Great American Book Drive will bring back its popular $1 sale, where selected books can be purchased for only a dollar. Neighbors will also be able to easily sign up for a library card. Younger readers will enjoy the face painting booth. What's more, Lost In The Stacks, Brooklyn Public Library's lively 9-piece band, will be on hand playing a mix of rock, pop, and jazz standards.

"Better World Books is excited to kick off another successful Great American Book Drive with our longtime partner Brooklyn Public Library. The drive last October was a ton of fun and a great success-and all for a great, local cause," said Xavier Helgesen, co-founder of Better World Books.

"The Great American Book Drive offers Brooklynites with crowded bookshelves the opportunity to make some space in their apartments in an environmentally friendly way," said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Central Library Director from Brooklyn Public Library. "On top of that, the money raised from the sale of the books will support the library at a time when we need it most."

Better World Books, winner of the 2008 Fast Company Social Capitalist Award, is a fast-growing social enterprise that collects donated books and sells them online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. Through partnerships with more than 1,800 college campuses and 1,500 libraries nationwide, Better World Books has generated over $6 million for its non-profit, library and college partners, donated 1.2 million books to literacy programs globally, and diverted over 22 million books from landfills.

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ABOUT BETTER WORLD BOOKS
Better World Books (www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit social enterprise that collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than two million new and used titles in stock, Better World Books is a self-sustaining company that balances the social, economic and environmental values of its stakeholders. Since its founding in 2003, the Mishawaka, Indiana-based company has raised over $5.6 million for its non-profit literacy and library partners; diverted more than 20 million pounds of books from landfills; achieved 6,000 tons of carbon offsets through carbon-neutral shipping, and created more than 200 full-time jobs with meaningful benefits.

ABOUT BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries around the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a huge selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL's eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org.

For more information please contact: Nina Stricker, nstricker@groupsjr.com, 913-908-8188