One of these is heading to Joplin.
A lot of you come to this blog because you love to read, so I thought you might be interested in this opportunity to donate new and gently-used books to the Joplin, Mo., schools.
The original message came to me via a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators listserv along with a phone number and email address to use if you needed more information. I left that personal info off this blog post for fear of evil spammers, but if you want the contact info please leave a comment here saying so. I’ll email it your way personally. Here goes with the message:
The Missouri Writers Guild is collecting books for the Joplin schools, which were nearly destroyed by the recent tornado.
MWG president Deb Marshall said, “They have to replace books for K-12. The high school was a total loss, as was one middle school and one elementary. Another elementary and one additional middle school were major, but not total losses. They have also asked us to assist with helping to restore the Teacher Resource Center, which was totaled also. They’re looking for fiction, nonfiction and resource books.”Books can be shipped by Media Mail to: Deb Marshall, 1203 Spartina Drive, Florissant, MO 63031,” she said. “They have no place to store anything yet, so we’re shipping to me until their Resource Librarian has her location established the third week of June, at which time we’ll make a delivery and she can begin to catalog. Anything they cannot use will be distributed to military families in the area. Joplin has a number of National Guard units that have been deployed on numerous occasions to both Iraq and Afghanistan.”I know you have been generous in the past and often look for good homes for gently used books. Please forward this message to any lists where you think people might be able to help.
Thank you so much for encouraging others to step up for this. The Joplin community needs it and the Missouri Writers’ Guild appreciates it as well.
Best regards,
Deb Marshall
President, Missouri Writers’ Guild
Hi, I have many books I would like to donate to the Joplin effort. I live in St. Louis County and would like to personally deliver them to Deb Marshall’s residence or have her pick them up from mine, as Florissant is not a far drive. Please let me know how to get in contact with her.
Thank you
Ross in Chesterfield, MO
Thanks for your quick reply, Ross –I’ll email you the info separately.
Have 3 boxes of books. Should I still send to Spartina address?
email me back asap atcarolan@yahoo.com
THX
Hi, I would also like to donate books. I live in Northeast Pa. Please let me know where to send them.
Uh-oh, I must not have written this post as clearly as I meant to. I can send you a phone number and/or email address you can use if you have any questions that aren’t answered in the letter from the Missouri Writers Guild (the letter I pasted above in my blog post). If you simply want to donate your new or gently used books to the Joplin Schools, though, all you need to do is use the US Mail address for the president of the Missouri Writers Guild that is posted in this blog. I’ll paste it here again, too, in case that helps. Mail books to:
Deb Marshall
President, Missouri Writers’ Guild
1203 Spartina Drive
Florissant, MO 63031
Thanks in advance for your generosity, Karla.
Beth Finke
I was living in Pass Christian, MS when hurricane Katrina hit, destroying our small town. Our library was flooded when the storm surge came ashore, and everything in it was destroyed. One of the first ways they restocked their books was by having a wish list for books they hoped to get. People from all over the country could order books to be sent directly to the library (think Amazon or Barnes & Noble). It is a really easy way to donate (no packaging items or taking them to the post office), and the library got the books it needed. Do you think Joplin has anything like this in place?
Good idea, and good question — I just emailed the Missouri Writers’ Guild President to see if she knows the answer, will comment again here if/when i hear back from her.
Just heard back from Deb Marshall, the president of the Missouri Writers Guild. She thanks you for the idea, Rebecca, and said she has contacted the Library Resources admin in Joplin and posed your question to themw, so I’ll be in touch with a response. She added that she volunteered her “computer guru” (and then joked that she was about to get into a lot of hot water!) to help them create this valuable resource if they do not have it in place. She said she’ll be in touch. Thanks again for the very helpful suggestion, Rebecca.
Every time I think of those poor people in Joplin I want to cry. How can people deal with so much devastation. It was wonderful to put the book info on your blog because I think you’re are absolutely correct….people sometimes save up books and don’t know what to do with them after awhile.
The kids in our Glendale community want to collect and donate good condition and new children’s books to the Joplin Resource Library. We are traveling through Joplin this weekend (June 17-18) and I’m curious if they’re ready to receive any books yet.
Thank you, Regina
What a wonderful idea, a great learning experience for those kids.
Thanks for your comment to my blog — from what I understand, Deb Marshall, the president of the Missouri Writers Guild, is gathering books in her house and garage until the Joplin Schools determine a place to go through all the donations and figure out which book will go where. From what I can tell, Deb is already gathering the books at her home, but it might be wise to email her to make sure she’ll be home when you arrive with your *very* generous gift of books. I’ll email you privately with Deb’s email address.
If one of the kids going with you wants to email me next weekend with a couple paragraphs about how the trip is going I’d be happy to feature them as a guest blogger — just let me know.
Safe trip to Joplin,
Hi. Are they still in need of books? I have 4 large boxes of kids books and also live in the St. Louis area. How can I get in contact with the lady to drop them off at her house in Florissant?
Jessa,
Thanks for responding to the call for books in Joplin. I am quite sure they are still accepting book donations, but probably best to contact Deb Marshal, the president of the Missouri Writers Guild, to make sure. I’ll send her email address and phone number to you directly –
Thanks so much!
I have a big bag of books that my college summer course collected for Joplin elementary students! Could I get Deb Marshal’s number to call to see if she is still accepting them or where I should take them, because I will be in Joplin on Wed. of this week! Thanks! My e-mail is a_olson_12@hotmail.com
I live in Prairie du Chien, WI and my local library just finished their annual book sale and we have many children’s books and others that we would like to donate. I am from Joplin, MO and I will be headed to see family in August, where can I drop off books in that area for Joplin Schools?
Hi Deb,
I’m a high school librarian in Henderson, NV and have a lot of good library books I would love to donate to the high school(s) in Joplin if they need them. I’ve been weeding my fiction section of duplicates, etc. Let me know via my email how to go about this and I’ll get my student council students on it to help – I know they’d love to help.
Thanks, fred
My daughter (age 8) went through her personal collection of books and decided to donate a box of books to the schools/kids of Joplin. Please email me with details if they are accepting books still and do they just need to be mailed to someone? Can they be dropped off? THANKS 🙂
Can you please email her Address My library here In Indiana is wanting a list of books needed we are coming in aug again to volunteer and want to bring books.
Thanks
Tara
tarad@3ndv.org
My daughter loves to read and is collecting books to take down to Joplin for the kids who lost so much. Could I get this woman’s email so I can contact her about a drop off location and time. Thanks so much!
I was an elementary teacher and I am now teaching nursery class aged children. I have 4 big boxes of books for children grades k-4 that I’d like to donate. Are books donations still being accepted?
Thanks,
Lisa
I am a retired teacher and have both trade books for children and resource books for teachers which I would like to donate. Are book donations still being accepted? If so, where should they be sent?
Thanks,
Carole
Our Girls On the Run team here at Fairmount Elementary are conducting a book drive for the schools in Joplin. A contact name and number for someone either in Joplin or our local area (St. Peters MO) would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Nancy Aberasturi
Counselor, Fairmount Elementary
Girls On the Run coach
Are they still looking for books for the schools and can you give me a better idea of what they are wanting now that they have received many books through the summer?
Are they still looking for books for the schools?
Are the schools still in need of books?
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