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You are currently browsing the First Book Blog weblog archives for October, 2007.
Archive for October 2007
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Lights, Camera, Action! Presenting the First Book Video Challenge
October 30th, 2007
Diane N.
Leave a Comment »Congratulations to the winners of the first-ever First Book Video Challenge!
This fall we handed the camera to First Book’s Campus Advisory Boards (CABs) and invited them to pay homage to their favorite childhood books with short video clips that responded to the question: What book got you hooked? A panel of First Book staff members selected the winners.
Best Video: First Book-Georgetown
First Runner Up: First Book-Rhodes College
Honorable Mention: First Book-Geneva; First Book-University of IdahoYou can take a look at their entries here. The winners will receive Borders electronic gift cards in varying amounts to grant to the local Recipient Groups of their choice.
Thanks to all the participating CABs for their game participation and fantastic entries!
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Volunteers in DC Make a Difference at the MLK Memorial Library
October 29th, 2007
Nicole T.
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Across the country 3 million Americans participated in volunteer events Saturday in celebration of Make a Difference Day 2007, the nations largest day of volunteering. In Washington, DC, First Book staff joined hundreds of volunteers at the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library to sort and package damaged and outdated books to make room for new books. View pictures of the event.We’d like to give a special thanks to all of our First Book partners and Advisory Boards who joined us to volunteer including The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, First Book-Georgetown University, Alpha Xi Delta Chesapeake Alumnae Assocation of Maryland, National Education Association Student Program, and the Pi Beta Phi George Washington University chapter!
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Time Management, Or Lack Thereof
October 24th, 2007
Mindy Klasky
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Guest blogger Mindy Klasky is the author of six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice and numerous short stories. Her latest novel, Sorcery and the Single Girl, is the second book in a series about a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers she’s a witch. Ten percent of proceeds from the sale of Sorcery and the Single Girl and Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft, will benefit First Book.I like to think of myself as an organized person. I like to pretend that I meet every one of my deadlines (early, even!), and that I can juggle an infinite number of activities with the perfect aplomb of a well-oiled machine. (Why would a machine juggle? Let me go research that… Wait, I don’t have time to research that. I’ll just have to let the image stand.) And yet, I know that I fall short, all too often.
When I practiced law, I became accustomed to recording the time I spent on client matters. I ticked off my life in six-minute increments, making sure that I was scrupulously fair because someone was paying good money for my time. I realized that my legal practice days were numbered when I sat down to read a book for fun and caught myself looking at my watch, automatically reaching for a pencil to scribble 9:06 (my start time.)
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Advisory Board Spotlight of the Month
October 23rd, 2007
Heather J.
Leave a Comment »First Book- Huntingdon County, PA parties with fundraisers, galore!
First Book—Huntingdon County, PA found a wealth of wonderful members and volunteers to host ten fundraising parties throughout the community to benefit the Advisory Board this past spring and summer. The beauty of these events was that each hostess had the freedom to design their party in a way that best suited their interests and schedule. Party themes included a luncheon, book club, morning walk and breakfast, dessert party, bridge, cocktail party, bridge and dinner party, and book swap.
This year’s events raised double the amount of donations than the parties did previously and the Board more than doubled their goal for the year. Hundreds of people contributed to the Advisory Board and over 75% of the individuals were new donors to First Book—Huntingdon County.
First Book sends a special thank you to Kim Richardson and Ellin Jaeger for their tireless efforts to make the events a success. Congratulations, First Book—Huntingdon County for a job well done! Party on!
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First Book teams up with USA Weekend and Scholastic to Make a Difference
October 22nd, 2007
Mary Beth F.
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This Saturday, October 27th, is the 17th annual Make A Difference Day! It’s the nation’s largest day of volunteering and to do our part, First Book employees will be joining more than 200 volunteers for an indoor renovation at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.It’s just one of the thousands of projects taking place across the country on this day, involving more than 3 million volunteers. Make A Difference Day is sponsored by USA WEEKEND Magazine in partnership with the Points of Light & Hands On Network. Make A Difference Day participants include thousands of communities, corporations and non-profit organizations that use the day to rejuvenate, clean, educate and make America a better place.
While First Book employees will be lending their time to the library project in DC, more than 80 First Book Advisory Boards across the country will be celebrating Make a Difference Day by hosting reading parties at local recipient groups throughout this week. At these events, volunteers from the Advisory Boards will be distributing new books donated by Scholastic to local children in need. These reading parties are helping to celebrate the recent donation of more than 200,000 new books from Scholastic to First Book.
To learn more about Make a Difference Day or what is going on in your community, please visit the Make a Difference DAYtaBank.
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Tales from the Bay
October 19th, 2007
Elena B.
Leave a Comment »It was another amazing Book Bank distribution for me and three colleagues who headed West last week. From the US Coast Guard station in Alameda, California, First Book distributed 300,000 brand new Simon & Schuster books. Titles ranged from a bilingual “Bob the Builder” book to holiday themes and beyond. While a distribution of this size normally takes at least four, if not five days to complete, we were able to do it in three. What’s our secret? The men and women of the US Coast Guard, who are the absolute best volunteers you can ask for in a warehouse. This was the third time I have personally been to this site, and it’s always a smooth operation. Not only are they extremely kind, they are also a really fun bunch. To Sam, Nate, and the rest of our friends in Alameda- THANK YOU!
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First Book at the 2007 Quill Book Awards
October 18th, 2007
Rachel C.
Leave a Comment »First Book is absolutely delighted to be selected as a signature charity of the Quills Literacy Foundation. First Book will be featured at the 2007 Quill Book Awards gala ceremony in New York City, hosted by NBC’s Ann Curry and Al Roker, with special guest Stephen Colbert. Our long-time supporter, Academy Award-nominated actress Joan Allen, will present on our behalf. Please check your local listings and watch the Quill Awards television special on NBC on Saturday, October 27.
The Quills Literacy Foundation, in partnership with NBC Universal Television Stations and Borders, Inc. ®, will be auctioning a selection of autographed notable books and 2007 Quill Award winner and nominee titles to raise funds for First Book.
You can help! Please be sure to visit www.thequills.org between October 22 and midnight October 31 to place your own bids – and help give the gift of reading. Your support will help put more books into the hands of children who need them most.
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Thanks for making it a Better World, DC!
October 17th, 2007
Erin T.
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We asked, and you answered. Thank you to everyone who donated books to our recent Better World book drive and to our incredible partners who made this possible: SunTrust Mortgage, SunTrust Bank, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Better World Books. Through your generosity, we received more than 15,000 books! The books were collected from the drop-off points at SunTrust Bank locations, sorted, and sent to Better World Books to be sold online. All of the proceeds will help fund brand-new books for children in need in the DC area. If you have been looking for a great classic, rare book, or recent bestseller, go to www.betterworld.com/firstbook to check out the selection. -
Community Spotlight: United Way Success By 6, Athens, GA
October 15th, 2007
Matthew W.
Leave a Comment »Wondering where all the books go? Periodically we profile one of the many community programs that receive books from First Book for the children they serve on the First Book blog.
First Book Recipient Group: United Way Success By 6, Athens, GA
Ages of the children you serve: Birth to age 6
How long has your program been a First Book recipient group? We received our first grant of books in April 2006. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and quantity of the books! Later that fall, we were informed of our selection for the Cheerios’ Spoonful of Stories and First Book partnership.
How do you use First Book books? We distribute the books to parents who work in low-paying businesses (such as poultry plants). We are able to provide the books at the work-site during their breaks and lunch while also giving them information about the importance of reading to their young children. We also distribute the books to low-income children in our local Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and children in local homeless shelters.
How have the children in your program reacted to receiving the books? Isn’t it interesting that in this day of computers, TVs, and gaming systems, a simple book will always produce shining, excited eyes? The magic of a good book still captures the hearts and imaginations of little ones! Just one look at the picture of Rosie T., who isn’t even one year old yet, tells it all – our children love the books and First Book!
Thanks to Patty Wagner of Success By 6 for her help with the post and to Rosie and her Mom!
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First Book-Tacoma, WA gets crafty!
October 12th, 2007
Andrea T.
Leave a Comment »First Book-Tacoma, WA Co-Chair Wanda J. has brought not only her love of children and passion for literacy to her volunteer position, but her skills as a seamstress as well! The members of the board have been creating book bags with many fun different fabrics, and are giving people a chance to “donate” these bags (full of six books each!) to a child in a Recipient Group in the local community.
This is a fun and exciting new way to support First Book-Tacoma’s fundraising initiatives to bring brand new books to the children in their community. Each bag is hand sewn by an Advisory Board member, and becomes the personal property of the child it is donated to. If you’re interested in donating to help First Book-Tacoma give out more book bags, or just want to learn more about what their Advisory Board is doing, please visit their website. Each bag costs just $20 but is a priceless gift to a child! Thanks to the members of First Book-Tacoma and keep up the good work!