Bookmobile News

It’s here – our biggest children’s book drive of the year, coordinated by United Way of the Wine Country, Exchange Bank, and JDSU! Please help us break last year’s record of 5,000 kids’ books donated to the Free Bookmobile…and help insure that no matter what their families’ income or where they live, children all over Sonoma County will have great books to read this summer. Help us keep them motivated to learn!

In fact we depend on these donations not only for summer outreach but to supply our patron families with quality material all year long.  During the two weeks between June 7 and 21, please bring as many books as possible to any Sonoma County Exchange Bank location. And tell your friends and neighbors!  Click here to see more information available on the official drive webpage, including examples of the kinds of books we’re especially looking for. In short, our need is for all ages, from toddler through teen/young adult, and in both English and Spanish.

Thank you for taking the time to support the children in your community!

As we continue to expand our reach in terms of both variety of locations served and number of overall events, we are bumping up against the limits of our book supplies.  We are now coming to understand that our greatest needs are in specific categories, and because of our consistent service to children’s programs, these categories are unlikely to shift much over the coming year.  So please help spread the word!  We consistently need high quality:

• Board and flap books for toddlers with little hands
• Early reader books with large print, easy words, and lots of pictures
• Teen & Young Adult books, especially recent fiction
• Recent non-fiction for all ages (including adults!)
• Standard reference books: dictionaries, atlases, thesauruses

Community Foundation Sonoma County and Bread for the Journey Sebastopol are two of our most important partners.  After having the pleasure of working with a number of their officers I can tell you they both exemplify the kind of positive spirit that helps small non-profits like the Free Bookmobile thrive.

A little history: the very first funding the Free Bookmobile received towards purchase of our fabulous vehicle came from Bread for the Journey Sebastopol (BFJ). BFJ board members Sharon Bard and Toni Winter met with bookmobile director Glen Weaver very early in the process and reassured him he was on the right track! Their support has continued to be fundamental to the Free Bookmobile’s success, and in fact Sharon now sits on the Literary Arts Guild board as well.

Last week she boosted our cause yet again, working with Community Foundation Director of Philanthropic Services Miguel Ruelas to co-host an important donor-awareness event.  This lovely afternoon gathering was a big step in getting the word out to folks who support literacy in Sonoma County, and resulted in a crucial matching grant opportunity for the Free Bookmobile as well. Huge thanks to co-hosts Sharon, Miguel, and Julia L. Grant!

5th grade Sonoma Country DaySchool teacher Ben Bacon has been a good friend to the Free Bookmobile.  Last year he hosted a neighborhood book drive for us at his home, and this March he helped his class combine their love for reading with their love for service.  Every book read by his students would later be donated to us, up until May when we could come to the school and collect.  Well it turns out they’ve been a bit more busy than that!

Upon arrival this past Monday, we discovered Ben had rallied the entire school along the way in support of the Free Bookmobile cause. In a little ceremony, they just plain took our breath away by presenting us with a check for almost $2,500 worth of book-buying power! We’ve never been so excited to break open the Scholastic catalog.

This amazing gift comes at a perfect time, when we are running very low on dictionaries, bilingual material, early readers, and young adult books. Our shopping spree will benefit soooo many children across the county…all we can say is “WOW! Thank you, SCDS!”

Filling the Free Bookmobile with great stories they have known...