Fundraising for Books

     This one is for all you educators out there. Another school year is now underway and one of the biggest challenges facing most schools these days is money for supplies and books. While it may seem like a hopeless and daunting task, there are far more resources and fundraising opportunities available to educators and librarians than many realize. Take it from a former librarian that took care of two elementary library collections without a budget at all, but who still managed to spruce up her libraries with new decorations and reads. As they say, where there is a will, there is a way!

An elementary school Scholastic Book Fair.

Book Fairs
Believe it or not, there are several book sellers that offer book fairs and there are even a few different kinds of fairs you can host: in school, in store or online. This flexibility allows you to plan the best fair possible for your school community.

• Barnes & Noble - This national book store chain offers book fairs with both an in store and online shopping component to make your book fair the biggest success possible. They also will work very closely with you to plan events and displays specific to your school to heighten the appeal and encourage attendance. A portion of the book fair proceeds will be given to your school in the form of a B&N gift card or check.
• Scholastic - The classic in school book fair we all know and love has been brought into the 21st century with an online shopping component! Now those who cannot attend your physical fair can still lend their support by shopping at their convenience from the comfort of the their own home. At the end of your fair, you either receive Scholastic Dollars that can be used through the Scholastic Store or a check. (If you choose the Scholastic Dollars option you will get a larger return.)
• Schuler Books & Music - This local Michigan book store chain offers a few different fundraising options. They offer two types of in store book fairs: a week or over a weekend. During the scheduled days, your school gets 20% of all designated purchases.

Also, Barnes & Noble and Schuler Books & Music both offer educator discounts of 20% off books for the classroom and educational materials.

Publishers
A resource for educators that is usually overlooked is the publishers themselves. Oftentimes reaching out to publishers can yield great rewards in the form of posters, stickers, bookmarks and, best of all, books! Most publishers will have a customer service e-mail or some sort of promotions department that you can contact. While this approach may not work every time, it is certainly worth a try. When I was a librarian and began contacting publishers it took a long time to hear back, if I heard from them at all. At the time, I found Penguin was the most responsive and generous, providing me with a box of posters and other promotional materials all in doubles as I had two libraries to spruce up.

Out-of-the-Box Fundraising
Outside of the traditional book fair route, there are other ways to raise money to buy books for a classroom or school library. Here are a few to consider:

• Bake Sale - A classic bake sale is a great way to raise funds while bringing a school community closer together and providing learning opportunities. Baking something scrumptious is an activity that children can do with their parents and involves the use of math and science skills. Also, a bake sale provides a chance for students to learn about different cultures by sharing goodies that are specific to their family heritages.
  
• Bottle Drive - In Michigan, there is a $0.10 deposit on plastic  and glass pop (or soda) bottles and cans. An easy way to raise some funds is to encourage students and staff to bring in their bottles and cans to the school.
  
• Box Tops for Education - If your school is not already collecting box tops it is time to start! Like the bottles and cans, each box top is worth $0.10 and checks are mailed to schools twice a year, in December and April. Turn box top collecting into a community endeavor by setting up a collection box in your local library or grocery store.
  
• Penny Wars - A healthy bit of competition for the better of a school library can be great fun! Each classroom in the school collects pennies. The classroom that collects the most pennies at the end of the competition wins a prize or special activity as designated by the competition coordinator.
  

Donations and Book Swaps/Exchanges
Never underestimate the generosity of others.