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Books for the Black Belt 

​2024 Books for the Black Belt Campaign

February 5 - March 1

The 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: 
  • Bidgood Hall | Main Entrance, 500 Colonial Drive 
  • Alston Hall | Lower Level, 361 Stadium Drive
  • Hewson Hall | Southeast Stairwell, 380 Stadium Drive
  • Honors Hall | All Floors, 533 6th Ave 
  • Carmichael Hall | 520 Colonial Drive
  • Wade Hall |  620 Judy Bonner Drive
  • Autherine Lucy Hall | 902 University Boulevard
  • The Reese Phifer Hall Rotunda | 2nd Floor, 901 University Boulevard
  • Sigma Chi | 180 University Boulevard 
  • Phi Kappa Sigma | 430 Smith Woods Circle
  • Ridgecrest South | 905 2nd Street 
  • Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life | 2500 Student Center, 751 Campus Drive West
  • Lucy's Legacy & BRIDGE Office | Office 205 Russell Hall, 504 University Boulevard
  • First Year Experience Office | Office 302 Russell Hall, 504 University Boulevard
  • The Student Government Association Office | 2617 Student Center, 751 Campus Drive West
  • Center for Service & Leadership | 1100 Student Center, 751 Campus Drive West 
  • Crossroads Civic Engagement Center | 3617 Student Center, 751 Campus Drive West
  • Center for Community-Based Partnerships | 1102 Capital Hall, 270 Kilgore Lane

Donors can also bring books to off-campus donation boxes at:
  • Alberta Baptist Church | 2210 University Boulevard
  • Warner Transportation Museum | 1901 Jack Warner Parkway
  • Ernest & Hadley Booksellers | 1928 7th Street
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of West AL | 2721 6th Street
  • YMCA of Tuscaloosa (Downtown and Benjamin Barnes Branch) | 2300 13th Street OR 2939 18th Street ​

​Additionally, donors can drop off books and monetary donations at UACED located at: 

​621 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa AL 35401
Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monetary donations are also accepted - please make checks payable to “The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development” and put “Books for the Black Belt” in the memo. Mail any donations to:

ATTN: Books for the Black Belt
Box 870138 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. 
​

The Book Bundler
If you would like to donate but are not local to Tuscaloosa, we recommend purchasing a bundle of pre-packaged used books from The Book Bundler. The Book Bundler allows you to select books based on a certain age group, genre and condition of the books. If you choose to donate via The Book Bundler, please email UACED so we are sure to receive it. Ship your book bundle to our office at:

The University Center for Economic Development 
621 Greensboro Avenue Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.


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. 

Reference lists for appropiate books

  • Caldecott Award/Honor Books
  • Carter G. Woodson Book Awards
  • Coretta Scott King Book Awards​
  • NCSS Notable Tradebooks
  • Newbery Medal Books
  • ​Printz Award Books​​
  • Pura Belpré Award​​​

For questions or concerns, please contact Sally Brown
by phone (205)348-7058 or email [email protected]

"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

2024 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 2024. The month-long book drive ran from February 5 to March 1. Through the placement of collection bins around campus and donations from UA faculty, staff, students, and members of the community- nearly 15,500 new and gently used books were collected. 

Campaign Impact 

  • 2024 collected and distributed 15,500 books to 69 schools in 13 counties & received $425 in donations
  • 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
Source: ​ WVTM 13 News

News

Effort underway to get books to kids in underserved communities in west Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - An effort is underway in west Alabama to put books in the hands of school children in underserved communities as the University of Alabama is promoting literacy in the area.

Vestavia Hills students donate over 7,000 books to Black Belt Book Drive

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (WIAT) — The Books for the Black Belt campaign received a generous donation from a Birmingham-area group of students last week.
​Vestavia Hills High School students gathered 7,700 books for the book drive, mostly geared toward high school readers. They also helped deliver and unload the nearly 250 boxes of books to UA’s campus on Wednesday morning.

University of Alabama book drive supports students in Black Belt counties

The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development is organizing the 18th annual Books for the Black Belt campaign, inviting K-12 students, faculty and locals to donate books to benefit K-12 literacy.

The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development extends a thank you to all our partners participating in the 2024 Books for Black Belt book drive. 
​
Partners include: Alberta Baptist Church, Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Alabama, Center for Community-Based Partnerships, Center for Service & Leadership, Crossroads Civic Engagement Center, Ernest and Hadley Books, Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Office of Student Academic Engagement & Advocacy (Lucy's Legacy and BRIDGE), Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Ten Hoor Hall, The House Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa Public Library, UA College of Communications & Information, UA College of Education, UA Culverhouse College of Business, UA Honors College, UA Housing and Residential Communities, UA Student Government Association Office, UA University Programs, Warner Transportation Museum, YMCA of Tuscaloosa, 2nd & Charles.

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The University of Alabama 
Center for Economic Development -
Box 870138
Tuscaloosa, AL  35487
Phone - 205.348.7058
Fax - 205.348.6974
email - [email protected]
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