Help get books to east Salem kids through Rotary drive
Next time you’re at the Book Bin, you can grab a book for an east Salem kid.
The Rotary Club of East Salem is running a book drive through the downtown retailer to stock 11 Little Free Libraries around east Salem.
Club members built and installed the libraries in 2020 as a way of supporting student literacy in the area, and have given out about 7,000 books through them since.
“We know that students in the east Salem area do not have easy access to a branch of the public library, and that many families cannot afford to purchase books,” said Catherine Carlson, who co-chairs the library project, in an email. “We also know that being able to read helps students to be prepared for kindergarten, contributes to school success and graduation, and provides skills for a successful life. Because schools in this area tend to score below the state average on state English language arts tests, we primarily stock the libraries with children’s books, in both English and Spanish.”
Carlson said the libraries need to be constantly re-stocked because they go through books quickly – with some needing weekly refills. All are located near apartment buildings, schools and preschool programs, and one is located at a micro-shelter site for homeless families.
Starting Saturday, the Book Bin will have a display of children’s books selected by East Salem Rotary available for purchase at the store with over 500 titles available for purchase in English and Spanish. Carlson said the selection is intended for children in preschool through seventh grade.
The book drive runs through Sept. 23. at the Book Bin, 450 Court St N.E. Books purchased will be used to refill the libraries.
The club’s Little Free Libraries are located at:
· Boys and Girls Club – Swegle Branch. 4445 Market St. N.E.
· East Salem Community Center. 1850 45th Ave. N.E
· Oregon Child Development Coalition & Lutheran Redeemer Church. 4611 Lancaster Dr. N.E.
· New Harvest Church. 4290 Portland Rd. N.E.
· Northgate Park’s Northgate and Fairhaven entrances. 3575 Fairhaven Ave. NE
· Oregon Department of Human Services: Winema Self-Sufficiency Office. 4074 Winema Place, Suite 100
· Seymour Child and Family Resource Center-Catholic Community Services. 3737 Portland Rd. N.E.
· St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School. 1015 Columbia St. N.E.
· Church at the Park Managed Shelter. 3745 Portland Rd. N.E.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
