Galvin Library is participating in World Book Night U.S. on April 23, 2014. World Book Night (WBN) is an annual event that celebrates the love of reading by creating opportunities for person-to-person contact through books. Publishers print special editions and authors waive their royalties in support of this literacy effort. On April 23, tens of thousands of people in the U.S. will go out into their communities to distribute books. Last year, more than half a million free World Book Night paperbacks were given to light and non-readers and Galvin Library had more than a dozen local participants.

Again this year, Galvin Library will serve as an institutional site where volunteer book givers can pick up their books to distribute in the community. Galvin Library also pledges to
be an active advocate for both World Book Night U.S. and to spread the love of reading.

Galvin Library is looking for volunteers to be a book giver and share your love of reading and books with those who don’t read or don’t use libraries. The deadline for book giver applications is January 5, 2014. Book givers can choose from more than 30 titles including all genres – mysteries, romance, science fiction, fantasy, classics, poetry, humor, autobiography, and young adult books. Note there are not book titles for small children on the list, because many other programs exist to encourage small children to read, WBN U.S. has the goal of encouraging reading in the adult population, especially those who may not have access to printed books for economic or geographic reasons.

Volunteer book givers can seek out adult readers wherever they are, in public settings or in places from nursing homes to food pantries, low-income high-schools to mass transit stations, wherever light or non-readers can be found. Book givers select a favorite title to distribute, and while the list includes classic titles from Heller, Maupin, and Christie, it also features more recent authors like Michael Pollan, Walter Dean Myers, and John Flanagan. See the whole list here.

According to the WBN website: “Reading for pleasure improves literacy, actively engaging emerging readers in their desire to read. Reading changes lives, improves employability, social interaction, enfranchisement, and can have a positive effect on mental health and happiness. Book readers are more likely to participate in positive activities such as volunteering, attending cultural events, and even physical exercise. Or more simply put, books are fun — and they can be life-changing.”

Be ready with some ideas of where you would like to distribute your book – location is crucial to the success of WBN. If you’re unsure of locations but want to participate, contact Lynne Meyer in IIT’s Office of Spiritual Life and Service Learning at 312.567.3160 for location suggestions. For more information, visit the Galvin Library blog.

All IIT students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in World Book Night.