Charitable alternative to buyback

Students can donate used textbooks to Books for Africa

By Jeff Christian
The Collegian

Book buyback is right around the corner, and most Fresno State students will once again stand minutes in line only to discover that their four-month old textbook is nothing but an overpriced soft drink coaster.

This semester, instead of filing textbooks away, to inevitably sit and collect dust, students can choose to donate their textbooks overseas.

The Golden Key International Honour Society, which has 350 chapters located at colleges and universities in seven different countries, is conducting the Books for Africa book drive in coordination with Better World Books and the Fresno State Kennel Booktore.

The project is designed to alleviate a continent-wide book famine in Africa and aid global literacy programs as well.

“We’re not only trying to help colleges, high schools and elementary schools, we’re trying to help literacy programs as well,” Fresno State Golden Key Honour Society adviser Joe Guerra said.

According to Guerra, the book drive focuses exclusively on books that students are unable to resell because the textbooks aren’t being renewed for future semesters.

The book drive will begin during the Kennel Bookstore’s book buyback period, which begins Tuesday, Dec. 12. Students can drop off qualifying books in the green and white collection bins located at the front of the Kennel Bookstore.

Textbooks, workbooks and study guides that have been used in a college course, are complete without missing pages and have copyright dates within the last five years qualify for the book drive.

The Fresno State chapter of Golden Key selected the project after Guerra spotted a Better World Books booth at a conference last summer.

Although there are about 250 students registered with Golden Key on campus, Guerra said most members don’t usually actively participate in the group’s community projects.

However, Golden Key regulars said there has been a substantial increase in the number of members that have participated in the Books for Africa drive.

“We’ve actually had a lot more member participation than usual. We usually only have 10 to 15 members participate, but for the book drive we’ve had a much bigger response,” Fresno State Golden Key President Samantha Howell said.

Howell believes the increased Golden Key member participation can be attributed to the worthy cause.

“There’s not a whole lot to do. We got boxes and we have a drop point where we pick up the books.

It’s a lot easier to get involved with because unlike a park cleanup project or a carwash, this is right on campus and all you have to do is drop-off books,” Howell said.

Howell said that expectations were uncertain because this is the first year that Golden Key has done the book drive.

“We weren’t really sure what to expect because this is the first time we’ve done the book drive and we’ve never had too much involvement, but the increased participation has raised expectations a bit,” Howell said.

If successful, Golden Key could turn the book drive into an annual event on campus.

“I’m not sure how well it will go but if it works we’ll do it next semester as well,” Guerra said.

In its 18-year history, Books for Africa has provided over 14.3 million books to 27 different African countries.

During Better World Books three-year partnership with Books for Africa, it has provided more than 425,000 used textbooks and nearly $1 million in funding.

Howell believes that a strong student response to the project could potentially make a big difference for Africa and literacy programs throughout the globe.

“It benefits other communities and people in Africa,” Howell said. “It’s a good idea to use what we have to help others.”

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