Books for the Black Belt2024 Books for the Black Belt CampaignFebruary 5 - March 1The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development will launch the 18th annual Books for the Black Belt campaign on February 5. UACED encourages University of Alabama students, faculty, staff and local residents to donate K-12 books to the campaign until March 1.
The primary goal of UACED’s campaign is to collect more than 40,000 books to provide one book to each child in the Black Belt. About Alabama's Black Belt Region Alabama’s Black Belt includes some of the nation’s most disadvantaged counties with high rates of poverty and unemployment, and declining populations. Limited access to educational resources is also a major concern for the future of K-12 students in this region. This philanthropic project began in 2006 as an extension of former Governor Bob Riley’s Black Belt Action Commission, an Education Subcommittee. UACED has spearheaded the project for the university since its inception. By donating books to students in Alabama’s 13 Black Belt counties, UACED strives to help children develop a love of learning and reading. UACED will donate the books to schools in Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox counties. How and Where to Donate: UACED will accept donations of new or gently used classic and award-winning books frequently found on school reading lists for K-12 children. Donors can bring books to donation boxes on campus at:
Donors can also bring books to off-campus donation boxes at:
Additionally, donors can drop off books and monetary donations at UACED located at:621 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa AL 35401
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What kind of books are appropriate to donate?The short answer is any classic literature texts and other award-winning schoolbooks (fiction and non-fiction) often available on public school library shelves and included on recognized reading lists, including the Accelerated Reader program.
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Reference lists for appropiate books |
For questions or concerns, please contact Erin Hackenmueller
by phone (205)348-7058 or email (eshackenmueller@ua.edu).
"A student that is not reading at the 3rd-grade level by the end of 3rd grade is four times less likely to finish high school. Today we have only 35 percent of our 3rd graders that are proficient in reading at grade level."
Source: Governor Kay Ivey, 2018
Source: Governor Kay Ivey, 2018
2023 Books for the Black Belt Campaign
The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UACED) wrapped up the 17th annual Books for the Black Belt book drive in February of 2023. The month-long book drive ran from January 30 to February 24. Through the placement of collection bins around campus and donations from UA faculty, staff, students, and members of the community- 11,500 new and gently used books were collected.
Campaign Impact
- 2023 collected and distributed over 11,500 books to 68 schools in 13 counties & received $360 in donations
- 2022 collected and distributed over 10,000 books to 72 schools in 13 counties
- 2021 No book drive due to COVID-19
- 2020 collected and distributed over 2,100 books to 29 schools in 13 counties
- 2019 collected and distributed over 4,800 books to 11 schools in 8 counties
- 2018 collected and distributed over 5,000 books to 12 schools in 6 counties
- 2017 collected and distributed over 16,000 books to 53 schools in 13 counties
- 2016 collected and distributed over 9,500 books to 40 schools in 10 counties
Source: WBRC Fox 6 News
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Source: WVTM 13 News
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News
UA collecting book donations for Black Belt SchoolThe University of Alabama Center for Economic Development has launched its 17th annual Books for the Black Belt campaign to encourage UA students, faculty, staff and Tuscaloosa-area residents to donate books for K-12 students in the region.
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Students from Vestavia Hills High School donate to Books for the Black Belt - WVUAEarlier this morning students from Vestavia Hills High School delivered thousands of donated books for the Black Belt. It’s all for The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development’s Books for the Black Belt Campaign. Vestavia hills students came to campus to drop off about 4,000 books they collected.
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Students collect thousands of books to go to underserved communities - WBRCTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - An ongoing effort to bring books to underserved communities in Alabama’s Black Belt just got a big boost as students from one central Alabama school spent months collecting books for the cause.
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Students from Vestavia Hills High School donate books to the Black Belt - WVTM 13Happening tomorrow, students at Vestavia hills high school will donate hundreds of books to students in the black belt. This is part of a campaign at The University of Alabama, which has collected more than 5000 books for kids in the region this year.
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