ACCESS BOOKS: Creating School Libraries

Last Saturday I volunteered, along with dozens of other literacy enthusiasts--many of them high school students--to sort books, label them, and prepare them for a new library at Compton Early College High School in Southern California. The day was organized by Access Books, whose mission is to “provide quality books to public school and community libraries where the majority of students live at or below the poverty line.” Since 1999, with the help of volunteers, they have refurbished over 300 libraries and donated more than 1.7 million books. They also collaborate with partners to host fun, literacy experiences for families in communities throughout Los Angeles. In addition to providing books, volunteers create and paint wonderful murals inside and outside the libraries. In Compton I watched them painting a huge Phoenix rising on one of the school walls, books soaring into the sky on another and colorful flowers next to the library door.
I was so impressed by the quality of the books we processed, the enthusiasm of the volunteers, the incredible art, and the amazing transformation of an empty room into a school library. The dedicated Access Books team is led by Becky Constantino, Founder and Director.
I first heard of Access Books when we both received awards from the Children's Literature Council of Southern California in the fall of 2020. Access Books was commended for its service to the community. I am glad that I was able to participate last Saturday in one of their projects.
For more information about Access Books go to their website https://www.accessbooks.net/our-mission.html. They are always looking for more volunteers and donations!