Community

Celebrate BookSpring Day: A Call to Share Your Memories

Celebrate BookSpring Day: A Call to Share Your Memories

This November 19th, 2024, the City of Austin will officially recognize BookSpring Day, a celebration of 50 years of literacy and community impact by BookSpring. Since our founding in 1974 as Friends of Reading is Fundamental of Austin, we’ve helped countless Central Texas families unlock a lifetime of learning by ...
Staff Spotlight: Idali Reyes, Partner Manager

Staff Spotlight: Idali Reyes, Partner Manager

What is your job title at BookSpring and what does it mean to you? My role as a Partner Manager at BookSpring means a commitment to building and nurturing meaningful relationships with our partners, who include various organizations, schools, and agencies throughout Texas who share our vision of building early ...
Staff Spotlight: Jessy Morris, Logistics Manager

Staff Spotlight: Jessy Morris, Logistics Manager

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 ...
BookSpring Honored to be in the top Three Finalists for Ethics Award

BookSpring Honored to be in the top Three Finalists for Ethics Award

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 ...
Staff Spotlight:  Bianca Paz-Cisneros, Director of Development and Public Relations

Staff Spotlight: Bianca Paz-Cisneros, Director of Development and Public Relations

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 ...
Sarah Hill holding a book at BookSpring

Staff Spotlight: Sarah Hill, Accounting Manager

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 ...
Staff Spotlight:  Jimmy Minter, Operations Manager

Staff Spotlight: Jimmy Minter, Operations Manager

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 ...
We love getting letters from our kids!

We love getting letters from our kids!

Has your family ever been given a book at your school or doctor's office?  Check for the BookSpring sticker!  If you and your child have a book from us, BookSpring would love to hear from you! Please have you child draw us a picture of what they like or remember ...
Image of website with give money, time, books displayed

Learn All About BookSpring’s New Home

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 ...
Books for Me Partner- Perez Elementary Camp Reads A lot

Partner Spotlight: Perez Elementary School

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 ...
Austin PBS partners with BookSpring

Austin PBS partners with BookSpring

Austin PBS has partnered with us to promote learning activities around school readiness, emphasizing literacy. Our ultimate goal is to improve formal and informal learning outcomes for the Greater Austin youth. Our target audience will be children ages 2-8 years old and their families and educators living in low-income communities ...
Girl reading in library

Literacy Begins Early

Literacy is the foundation of our lives! Our education begins when language, expression, and meaning meet between the pages of a book. Books shape our view of the world and generally improve our quality of life. We often overlook just how much the books and media we consume impact whom ...
Commmunity Action picking up BookSpring books

Partner Spotlight: Community Action of Central Texas

Community Action of Central Texas has partnered with BookSpring since January 2019 to provide children and families with books throughout Hays County.  This month the partner spotlight is on Community Action of Central Texas. Check out Sandra Martell's guest blog below. Support provided in part by the Burdine Johnson Foundation. The ...
BookSpring Delivered During COVID

BookSpring Delivered During COVID

New ways of gifting "forever" books BookSpring has continued to deliver books through partnerships with elementary schools, childcare centers, and clinics throughout the pandemic.  In order to help reduce the COVID slide and keep young readers motivated, we are customizing the way we make our book distributions through our longstanding ...
Strengthening families in our community

Strengthening families in our community

Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development. Books in the home and reading together can strengthen parent-child relationships during a critical period of development. BookSpringGo programs partners with community-based organizations that work with children and families to provide early literacy programs. We target families living in ...
Books and Yoga with Raaga

Books and Yoga with Raaga

Book drives are a great way to engage your family, friends, neighbors, or colleagues in a low effort project with maximum impact for families in Central Texas. Spurthi Kodkani and Hetal Matta are two prime examples of members of our community combining their passion and interests to support BookSpring in ...
We Love Our Volunteers

We Love Our Volunteers

It’s National Volunteer Week!  We want to take this time to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who make BookSpring’s operations possible.  From curating books to read-aloud, BookSpring’s endeavors would not be possible without the help of the amazing people who put in their time and ...
Digital Libraries

BookSpring Recommends Free Digital Libraries for Children

Spanish Translation Thanks to the digitization of books, families can access a range of titles without leaving the comforts of home.  There are many free online collections that feature a number of quality and acclaimed children’s books.  With the following resources, families can broaden their access their literature with the ...
Partner Spotlight: Our H-E-B

Partner Spotlight: Our H-E-B

Amidst a great amount of change and uncertainty throughout the current public health crisis, we’d like to shine a spotlight on one of our partners who has gone above and beyond to serve and meet the immediate needs of Texans: H-E-B. Last year, BookSpring and H-E-B partnered together to bring ...
BookSpring Smart TV Time Raffle

BookSpring Smart TV Time Raffle

Congratulations to Gail Wihelm, the lucky winner of the Smart TV Time Raffle. And a huge thanks to everyone that participated! Your support helps us provide books to the children that need them most.  Raffle Description: All BookSpring Smart TV Time Raffle proceeds will help us deliver books to the ...
internet

Accesa el Internet gratis durante COVID-19

The English translation can be found here.  Durante el brote de Covid-19, BookSpring quiere que todas las familias puedan accesar el internet fácilmente. El acceso es importante para continuar la educación infantil durante este período de auto-cuarentena. Muchas empresas afiliadas están actualizando rápidamente cuentas y páginas de la red con ...
The Very Quiet Cricket inspires student to never give up

The Very Quiet Cricket inspires student to never give up

Students from Gorzycki Middle School help to remind all Central Texas families how inspirational and important books at home are for children’s futures! By: Alexandra D. (6th Grade) When I was little, my favorite book was The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. My favorite character was the stinkbug because ...
Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight: Toni O’Dowd

Toni O' Dowd is a retired elementary school principal from the Dallas area with over 15 years of educational experience. As a principal, she utilized books and story-time as a means of calming students having a difficult day. She would pull them into her office to select books from her ...
BookSpring Partners With BookPeople

BookSpring Partners With BookPeople

BookSpring is proud to be a partner in literacy with BookPeople. BookPeople has been the leading independent bookstore in Texas since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years. BookPeople was voted Bookstore of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly ...
20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Erica H.

20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Erica H.

Erica Huff, owner of Wick Habit wants to make the world a better place or at least make it smell nicer. With a history of donating portions of her proceeds to local causes, Erica was inspired to create the“Rachel’s Poetry Corner” candle in honor of Rachel McElroy of the local podcast ...
20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Rachel M.

20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Rachel M.

Rachel McElroy and her husband Griffin host a weekly podcast called Wonderful. Listeners are encouraged to write in with items of enthusiasm such as movies, television, sports, books, and more for topics of discussion. With a background in poetry, Rachel began an informal segment called "Rachel's Poetry Corner" to expose more ...
Diverse Book Wish List

Diverse Book Wish List

Do you want to contribute in a unique and meaningful way to our mission? We love to distribute books that are written by or for underrepresented people, because all children deserve the chance to see themselves reflected in the books they read. However, it costs about three times the amount ...
20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Liam H.

20 books by 2020 Story Challenge: Liam H.

Liam H. held a book drive for our literacy programs in lieu of presents for his 11th birthday party. Thanks to his friends at St. Austin Catholic School they collected books to share with other children in Central Texas. Thanks Liam for helping us provide children in Central Texas with 20 ...
Book drives give back to your host city

Book drives give back to your host city

Mariela Rodriguez/Communications Director Over the last three years, we have been recipients of book drives held by several professional meetings, events, or conferences engaging their members in community service or charitable projects. This is a great way to give back to your host city. When attendees contribute to the host ...
Resiliency and a Big Anniversary

Resiliency and a Big Anniversary

by Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director This photo was taken at a lunchtime summer Go event at one of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin's community centers. This young girl was so memorable to me, because she was so insistent that I read that one book, a counting ...
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