NHS Hosts Annual March Book Drive

For the month of March, students could drop off their old or unwanted books in room 134 and rest assured that they would be given new life and purpose, no longer fading away and forgotten. The National Honors Society is organizing an annual book drive in honor of Read Across America month. 

Science teachers and Honors Society advisors Loma Granelli and Joseph Cremona chose to collaborate with the organization, New Legacy Books. “New Legacy Books is a non-profit out of Montclair, and they collect books and then they sell them. Any money they raise they give to the community or any areas that may need some extra donations,” Granelli explained. She has plans to drop off any books collected in a designated New Legacy bin -- many of which are located throughout New Jersey --  by the end of March.

New Legacy affirms through their website: “At New Legacy Books we give your used and unwanted books a new legacy through reuse or redistribution.”  Founded by two Monmouth university graduates, the non-profit offers a more productive alternative as opposed to letting your books collect dust on a shelf. Instead, they can go to shelters, schools, or be resold at affordable prices, making literature easily accessible among the disadvantaged. “If the books have seen better days and are deemed no longer usable, they will be recycled properly rather than ending up in a landfill.” Through these efforts, the initiative encourages avid readers to contribute to environmental sustainability. 

“So far, students are actively donating; we had a lot last year too.” Cremona said. If a student finds themself with a book that they would like to donate in the future after the drive has ended, they have the option to drop their book off themselves at donation bins that are located all throughout New Jersey. One of the few requirements? “We just ask that they [the books] have ISBN numbers and barcodes on the back so they can keep records,” Cremona said.

The drive serves as a reminder to students that even their small choices can make a difference in someone's life. Donating your forgotten books can help improve the community’s quality of life by bolstering literacy rates and fostering a love for reading.