Better World Books and Invisible Children Announce Book Drive Results

Better World Books and Invisible Children's 'Schools for Schools' Book Drive Contest
Collects Over a Million Books for Ugandan Children

Winning Schools Awarded Trips to Uganda

ATLANTA, GA (April 6, 2009) Better World Books, the socially conscious online bookseller, and media-based non-profit Invisible Children announced today the results of their four-month-long nationwide student book drive to raise awareness among young people of the conflict in northern Uganda. The nationwide "Schools for Schools" book drive collected 1.2 million books, and its three highest volume book-collecting student groups were awarded all-expenses-paid trips to northern Uganda.

The winning school in the competition is St. Xavier High School in Louisville, KY, which collected over 30,000 books.

"I was fortunate enough to have a group of students who were so passionate about social justice causes they literally created a groundswell of creative enthusiasm, not only in the school community, but also in the greater Louisville community," said St. Xavier teacher Dr. Sarah Watson. "They are absolutely living proof that one man, or twelve men working together, can move mountains-of books."

The second place and third place winners are Robert Bateman High School in Burlington, Ontario and La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, CA, each of which collected over 29,000 books.

The campaign - a combined film tour and traveling book drive - ended January 31st after educating roughly 312,000 students, raising $1.2 million, and dramatically exceeding its initial collection goal of 250,000 books. Roughly 220 schools participated in the book drive, including over 30 colleges and universities.

Better World Books, which collects and sells used books online to support literacy groups worldwide, used its business model and expertise to collect, sell and donate the truckloads of books amassed by hundreds of student groups. Invisible Children coordinated the ground effort, screening a film about the Ugandan conflict and raising awareness for the cause. The money raised from the drive will go to support education, literacy and community development programs in northern Uganda.

"This successful book drive with Invisible Children's Schools for Schools program enabled students across the U.S. and Canada to work towards a common goal: lasting peace in Uganda," said Xavier Helgesen, co-founder of Better World Books. "We at Better World Books are extremely proud of their efforts and congratulate not only the winners, but all of those who helped exceed the goals of the book drive."

"Through the book drive, these students have become agents of social change in not only their community but in Uganda as well," said Laren Poole, Invisible Children co-founder. "Now, the winners will actually have a chance to go see and meet those in the communities they've worked so hard for. This is a highlight in the outreach of the Schools for Schools program."

Invisible Children's Schools for Schools program uses innovative online social communities to help students see where their money is going and connect them to different projects, fundraising ideas, and supporters. The international organization created the revolutionary fundraising program in 2006 to help rebuild desperately needed schools in war-ravaged northern Uganda that had been destroyed by displacement, rebel occupation and lack of funding. Within its first year, students rallied together and raised over $3 million.

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 1,800college campuses and 1,500libraries 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 INVISIBLE CHILDREN
Established in 2005, Invisible Children is a social, political, and global movement using the transformative power of a story to change lives. By inspiring youth culture to value creativity, idealism, and sacrifice, the movement fuels the most effective, adaptable, and innovative programs in the world. Invisible Children, Inc. was formed after the release of the film "Invisible Children: Rough Cut", which documents a war in northern Uganda in which children are abducted by a rebel army and forced to fight as child soldiers. Currently, Invisible Children is putting 748 kids through school and employs 88 men and women living in this war-torn region, with plans to see that number grow. These programs on the ground were developed by the people of northern Uganda and seek to improve the quality of life for individuals through quality education, enhanced learning environments and innovative economic opportunities. www.invisiblechildren.com.

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