Updates

Since its launch in April 2022, Books Beginning at Birth (B3) has been making a profound impact on early literacy by providing free books, digital resources, and family reading support to thousands of families across Texas. By empowering parents and caregivers with the tools to build strong reading habits from ...

In August and September 2024, BookSpring conducted its annual Texas Reading Survey to understand family reading habits, book ownership, and school engagement. With 752 responses from parents of children 12 and under, this year's findings shed light on significant trends, challenges, and opportunities for promoting book access and literacy across ...

Books Beginning at Birth (B3), our collaborative program with the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, continues to make a significant impact in the lives of families and children across Texas. Our goal has always been to foster early literacy and create lasting family bonds through reading, and ...

In a remarkable follow-up to our previous story, Anushka Godambe, a former student at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, has continued her incredible journey of giving. Since our last update, Anushka has expanded her efforts, and with her unwavering dedication, she has now collected and donated over 40,000 books ...

A True Family Friendly Celebration BookSpring Fest 2024 held on Saturday, May 4th was a resounding success, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our community, volunteers, and sponsors. This year’s fest marked a significant milestone in our efforts to promote childhood literacy, bringing together over 1,000 ...

In our digitally saturated world, children encounter screens at an unprecedented rate, engaging with videos, ads, and games during unsupervised "screen time." Meanwhile, a different digital realm exists: that of "digital books," where parents actively participate in reading text and image-based materials with their children. How do these two realms ...

What is your job title at BookSpring and what does it mean to you? My role as an Administrative Assistant is to act as support for the Development and Finance departments as well as our Board of Directors. The nature of my role is to be flexible with the growing ...

Two young souls are making a big difference in the world of literacy. Anushka Godambe, a senior at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, has spearheaded book drives for BookSpring, donating an incredible 25,000+ books over four years. Meanwhile, Caroline Masterson recently completed her own book drive for her Eaglescout ...

What is your job title at BookSpring and what does it mean to you? I am the Logistics Manager which means I help the organization run efficiently through oversight of processing systems. I help conduct our annual inventory, lead volunteering shifts, distribute books to community partners, and work with distributors ...

Aug 1, 2023 - In the past year, the Books Beginning at Birth program, offered in collaboration with BookSpring and the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC), has made significant strides in promoting literacy and early childhood development across various communities. Through its initiatives, the program has ...

BookSpring staff recommends BookSmart, as a groundbreaking solution to tackle the global learning crisis. With the alarming statistic that 64% of 10-year-olds worldwide struggle to read and comprehend a simple story, BookSmart aims to bridge this gap by providing children with the necessary tools to cultivate a lifelong reading habit ...

In the vibrant Central Texas business community, there exists a shared belief that doing good is not only virtuous but also essential for sustainable growth and prosperity. RecognizeGood's prestigious Ethics in Business Award program embodies this philosophy, aiming to illuminate and honor businesses, individuals, and nonprofits that prioritize ethical practices ...

Book Drives Give Back At St. Andrew's Episcopal School, students recently learned about the importance of giving back through a BookSpring Book Drive. The drive was a huge success, with students donating over 2,000 books to the cause. But the drive was about more than just collecting books - it ...

What is your job title at BookSpring and what does it mean to you? As the Director of Development and Public Relations, I feel like it’s my job to make sure that we have enough funding for all of the programs and books we need to fulfill our mission. It ...

The Power of Diverse Books In recent times, discussions about the importance of diverse books have gained significant attention. Amidst the controversies surrounding the teaching of critical race theory in schools, it is vital to understand the value that diverse books bring to children's education. While headlines may focus on ...

By: Jeannine Herron, et al. In this overview, learn how early literacy benefits from both print-to-speech and speech-to-print instruction, creating connections in the brain that link new knowledge about the alphabet to what children already know and are continuously learning about words. Introduction Recently there have been many discussions among ...

What is your job at BookSpring? I’m the Accounting Manager, so I handle the financial books and assist with fundraising and donor relations and data. What do you like about your job at BookSpring? When I first applied at BookSpring, I was fresh out of college and trying to figure ...

By: María José Meneses, Originally published in Porch.com Parents and other family members can enhance the benefits kids can obtain by complementing reading with a few related activities. While you might think that school teachers have plenty of time for these types of activities, the truth is that there often isn’t ...

What is your job at BookSpring? I’m BookSpring’s Operations Manager. That means I have a uniquely diversified role. I manage all of our operations from onboarding new staff, to coordinating our university work studies and AmeriCorps programs, to the maintenance and care of our brand-new facility! What do you like ...

BookSpring is proud that our roots come from Reading Is Fundamental, the national program headquartered in Washington DC.  In addition to being a continuing funder to BookSpring through the Books for Ownership programs, they watch news and trends, such as The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which showed recently ...

Books Beginning at Birth Program for Texas Families Early childhood programs have long-lasting impacts on children, families, and broader communities. The Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) and BookSpring launched the Books Beginning at Birth program to ensure more families are empowered and motivated to read together ...

Embracing the Digital Age In this rapidly evolving digital age, it is only natural that technology has become an integral part of our lives, including the way we engage with books and stories. As parents, it is important to strike a balance between traditional and digital forms of reading, ensuring ...

It's official!  BookSpring has moved our headquarters to a new location in South Austin, 1807 W. Slaughter Lane, Building #1.  Come visit us M-F, between 10-4, or sign up to volunteer in our new space or at our warehouse on Rutland Drive. NOTE:  Our new mailing address is BookSpring, PO ...

Summer Success 2022 Program Recap This May, BookSpring visited six campuses in three Central Texas cities—Austin, Del Valle, and Pflugerville—and distributed over 4,500 books to 564 elementary students through our Summer Success Program. The program serves first and second graders enrolled in Title I schools and provides each child with ...

Despite an unexpected but welcome Spring rain storm, about 35 supporters and friends of BookSpring gathered to celebrate early literacy enrichment with the theme, "Dig into Reading." Held at the eclectic Sparky Pocket Park pavilion in Central Austin, there was just enough room inside and on the porch for everyone ...

In April, the Rodriguez Elementary library magically morphed into a science lab equipped with safety goggles, experiment materials, and an in-house scientist. The librarian, Ms. Mott, was mysteriously absent, and her cousin, Dr. Stein, had taken over. Dr. Stein instructed them to place their hands on the scanner when students ...

Partner Spotlight is on Perez Elementary School. With BookSpring’s Books for Me program this month, Perez Elementary librarian Randi Sather transformed her library into a picturesque, serene campsite. I got the chance to visit Ms. Sather on two event days. On the first day, she took her first and second ...

Let's Read a Book Together! Reading is not just a solitary activity; it can be a wonderful opportunity for families to bond, learn, and grow together. By incorporating interactive reading techniques, families can make the reading experience more engaging and enjoyable. In this article, we will explore various methods such ...

February 25th marks my employment anniversary as Executive Director of BookSpring, which started in 2015. As my motto is “Follow compassion, lead with reflection, and serve with commitment,” I’d like to take this time to share some of the triumphs and learning moments observed during this relatively brief time of ...

Stories from Two World Traditions Two of America's biggest holidays happen this month: Hanukkah and Christmas. While I've been celebrating and watching people celebrate these holidays all my life, it came to my attention recently that I have no idea where these traditions came from. So I did a little ...