Live 5 Book Drive collects more than 12,000 books for children

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A month-long book drive during the month of June collected a total of more than 12,000 books, an amount so large a second storage unit was needed to store them.

Live 5 News partnered with Reading Partners of Charleston, the Charleston County Public Library, Barnes and Noble and Mellow Mushroom to collect new or gently-used children’s books.

The goal was to collect as many as 15,000 books, but while the total number of books did not reach that goal, an additional $1,400 was collected that will be used to purchase additional books.

The drive honored longtime Charleston librarian Cynthia Graham Hurd, who was known for her passion for reading. Hurd was one of the nine victims of the June 17, 2015, shootings at Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.

In honoring Hurd’s love of reading, the drive is designed to provide children in need the opportunity to improve their reading skills and begin building their own at-home libraries.

During the first week of June, Barnes and Noble gave customers the opportunity to purchase a book at three locations where a portion of the proceeds went to the book drive. That offer also applied to online purchases.

The books will be distributed through Reading Partners’ network of tutors who work in local schools to help students improve their reading skills.

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