Organize a book drive to collect books for the CBC Calgary Reads Big Book Sale. Whatever your group: employees, family and friends, a
service club, a sports team, youth organization (Scouts, Girl Guides), faith-based or school group … you can hold a book drive and donate
the books collected to the Calgary Reads Book Bank for this program. We seek gently used books for all ages but cannot accept
dictionaries, encyclopedias, Readers Digest, Harlequin, Avon or Signet romances, magazines, or textbooks.
how?
There are two popular ways to host a book drive
A Central Collection Point
This donation spot can be in your office, at school or your club
venue, or be a one-time collection at a sporting or community
event. Place boxes to collect the books. If your group does not
have a suitable location, you may find that a local business,
school or community venue will host the collection spot for you.
We have a customizable poster for you in this kit. Use it to identify
the book drive’s purpose, the collection point and the type of book
donations you seek.
A Door-to-Door Book Drive
A flyer is distributed to homes in a chosen area. It details the drive and the
date that someone will be back to collect books. The homeowner puts the
books they wish to donate in a bag and places them outside their front door
on the day of the drive, just like a bottle drive. This type of drive works well
when your group includes volunteer drivers who can cover a large area at
one time.
3. Things to consider
4. Book drive in action
• If you collect through a Central Collection Point you’ll need
lots of boxes and may need to collect the books regularly
during the duration of your book drive.
1. Set up your collection point
• If you do a Door-to-Door drive you’ll want to define the
pick-up day(s) and time(s) and supply drivers and vehicles
with boxes.
• If your book drive is at your place of business, or in your
school or club house, it may be easy to publicize through
your bulletin boards and existing communication channels.
If you are canvassing a neighbourhood for books, this will
take more time and effort to distribute flyers and hang
posters.
•
•
Decide how long your book drive will last. Initially you
might hold a book drive over one month if using a
Central Collection Point. For a Door-to-Door book drive
you might promote the book drive and have the
collection day occur a few weeks later.
Advertise your book drive using the customizable poster
and flyer we provide. You might also use social media
outreach, emails to your members/group, news releases
or Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in the local
media.
a. For a Central Collection Point have bins or
boxes available and group members available
to monitor them. Hang your poster beside the
box and in other places directing people to the
collection point.
b. For a Door-to-Door book drive decide when to
distribute your flyer and say when the books will
be collected. Indicate if the home owner can
simply leave the books in a bag outside their
front door.
2. Collect books
You don’t have to sort the books before you deliver
them to Calgary Reads, but if your group wants to be
involved in the sorting alongside Calgary Reads’ team
members, we can arrange that with you.
3. Contact us and arrange to deliver
the books you have collected
We’ll be thrilled to meet you and talk with your
group about why reading and books matter and share
our thanks!