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Trade donates over one million books via Book Aid International
UK publishers and the book trade donated more than one million books to readers in 24 countries last year via charity Book Aid International.
In all, 107 book donors supported Book Aid International’s work in 2021, donating more than 880,000 brand new books. The books ranged from picture books for youngsters, up to the latest law and medical books to support professionals, and saw the charity return to near pre-pandemic levels of book provision.
Book Aid International also trained more than 600 librarians and teachers to give them the skills and confidence to support reading in their own communities, created 133 school libraries and funded the purchase of more than 28,000 locally published books.
The new Books to Go programme also gave more than 14,000 children in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zanzibar and Kenya the opportunity to read at home in future lockdowns, while the charity’s Inspiring Readers programme exceeded its goal of reaching 250,000 African primary school pupils.
The charity works with a network of partners ranging from grassroots groups to international NGOs and networks of schools and universities which receive the books the charity provides and works to ensure that people have the opportunity to read in their own communities.
Alison Tweed, chief executive, said: “I am delighted that this year in spite of all the challenges we faced we were once again able to provide more than one million brand new books to readers around the world. Those books are giving millions of people the opportunity to read — and with that opportunity comes the power to realise their ambitions. We could not do what we do without our many supporters – the publishers who donate books, the individuals, trusts and companies who support us financially and the many friends who help us spread the word. We look forward to continuing to support readers together in 2022."
