Give Books for The Bright Red Bookshelf

WHAT IS THE Bright Red Bookshelf?

The Bright Red Bookshelf is a Family Reading Partnership (FRPCV) program that collects gently used children’s books and then distributes them on bright red bookshelves in permanent locations throughout our community. There would be no Bright Red Bookshelf without the generous contributions from people like you!

How can I give books?

You can give new or gently used CHILDREN’S books at any of the following collection sites:

• Jubilee Foods

• Wisner Market FRPCV Tent - June - August

• Friends of the Chemung River Watershed - 109 N. Main St. Elmira

• Guthrie Southern Tier Pediatrics (3344 Chambers Road, Horseheads, near Arnot Mall)

• GST BOCES - Literacy Zone - Langdon Plaza

Take Home and Keep!

Thanks to your generous donation of books, our Bright Red Book Shelves hold gently used books for children to take home and keep!

Distribution Sites

Look for BRBs in Doctors' Offices, Community Centers, Nature Centers, Schools, Social Service Offices, Resource Centers, Churches, Laundromats, and Local Businesses

Book Ownership

Book ownership is important in fostering an interest in reading and a love for books. If parents are to read to their children, they need books to do so. Children feel pride in owning their own books. They develop confidence in reading and acquire mastery when books are easily within reach and can be read again and again. We believe that each book a child owns is an "appetizer" to library use.

Traveling Bright Red Bookshelf

Beginning in June and going through August the Bright Red Bookshelf can be found every Thursday in Elmira's Wisner Park at the Farmers' Market. The story telling tent is the cozy place where children can listen to stories read by volunteers. Before leaving the inviting site the children are encourage to take home a gently used book.

What contributors and volunteers have accomplished - thank you!

In addition to the books at the self sustaining sites, last year we delivered 8,000 books to Bright Red Bookshelf sites. Gently used books collected for our program throughout the region over the past year total 11,058. Contributors include schools, businesses, agencies/organizations (state and private), hospitals, churches, labor unions and individual donations from families.

We continue to grow our highly motivated and energetic volunteer “Sort and Label Crew” who assist with cleaning, labeling and delivering books. In addition we have added a community service volunteer from St. John Fisher College. They are dedicated and committed and we cannot thank them enough!

• Increases book ownership by families

• Encourages parent-child interactions with books

• Involves community members in this literacy effort through book donations

• Enhances the services of organizations serving as bookshelf hosts by providing books for the families they already serve

• Keeps books circulating in the communty so that "no children's book is ever lonely."