Galvin Library will once again participate in World Book Night U.S. (WBN) on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. World Book Night 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. Last year more than half a million free World Book Night paperbacks were given away and Galvin Library had more than a dozen local participants.

This year once again, Galvin Library will serve as an institutional site where volunteer book givers can pick up their books to distribute in the community. WBN 2014 couldn’t be any easier for us, but we need you and your support.

Register now to volunteer to be a book giver and share your love of reading and books with folks who don’t read or don’t use libraries. The deadline to apply to be a book giver is January 5, 2014. Book givers can choose from more than 30 titles, and they include 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 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 reasons or geography. 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 the list includes classic titles from Heller, Maupin, and Christie, but the list also features more recent authors like Michael Pollan, Walter Dean Myers, and John Flanagan. See the whole list here.

Think about where you would like to distribute your book, and if you’re unsure of locations but still want to participate, contact Lynne Meyer at 312.567.3160  in IIT’s Office of Spiritual Life and Service Learning. She’ll have some great suggestions for places to pass out books to those who need to read. Here are more FAQS on World Book Night U.S.

Galvin Library welcomes the participation of IIT students, faculty, and staff in World Book Night.