Corte Madera School (CMS), located in the small, mountainous town of Portola Valley, CA, has already started 6 libraries in 3 countries, and can’t stop. CMS has quietly developed a unique model for book drives that has produced library after African library. CMS’s library runs a continuous book drive, packing up a library one day and starting to collect for another the next.

Carolyn Billheimer, CMS’s dedicated librarian, oversees the whole process and offers these insights into their success.

Carolyn’s Top Tips for the Never-Ending Book Drive Success:

Get the word out! Make daily announcements and put reminders in the school newspaper. If you tell them, they will come…

Reach out to the community. Form partnerships with nearby schools, public libraries or churches

Teach your community about Africa! At CMS, students attend presentations, watch the ALP dvd, and talk about life in Africa

Sort and count as you go! Use a shelf to keep track of how many books you’ve collected. At CMS, the books are stacked by the hundred and sorted as they come in

Don’t pack alone - Ask for volunteers! At CMS, the students organize and pack the boxes in their free time

Spread the cost! Ask parents to volunteer to mail individual boxes, usually around $15 each

Carolyn’s favorite part of the book drive: “Talking with parents and students about. The best way for the children to appreciate how much they have is by helping others. For me, it’s all about the importance of giving.” Carolyn’s eyes shine with commitment to ALP’s mission as she says, “It takes us about three weeks to pack and sort the books. We have so much fun! The children ask great questions that inspire us to learn about Africa. They want to help others.” CMS’s student government helps raise money to send the books. They sell baked-goods, have car washes, and run a student store to support the book drive. Students include notes and photos of themselves in each box to personalize their donation. The lives of the orphans of the Chimoza Community Schoool in Zambia, the villagers of Tlokweng, Botswana, and the elementary school students of Kgabosetso, Crescent, and Thankane Primary Schools in Botswana and of Mbekelweni Luteran Primary School in Swaziland have all been changed forever thanks to one small town school in the US.

Let the never-ending book drive continue!