African library project

This summer, Project enVision U.S. is proud to partner with the African Library Project for the second time to help build a library in Africa. Our second collaborative project location is in Lesotho.

We are raising money to help ship these books, and are collecting thousands of children books to start the library (more information on what type of books can be found below). We have partnered with multiple locations in the Bay Area to serve as donation centers. If you can't find a location near you and would like to help out, please email Saurish Srivastava or feel free to make a monetary contribution.

The African Library Project changes lives book by book by starting libraries in rural Africa. Their grassroots approach mobilizes U.S. volunteers, young and old, to organize book drives and ship books to start or improve a library in Africa. Their method makes a concrete and personal difference for children and communities on both continents.

Project enVision U.S. is committed to its goal in making education more accessible, both locally and internationally. This Book Drive and the collaboration with the African Library Project is part of Project enVision's commitment to furthering access to education across the world.

Types of books

GOAL: 1,000 books

We request books at U.S. pre-school to 4th grade reading level including:

• Baby board books
• Children’s picture books
• Children’s fiction and non-fiction
• Early readers
• BIG books
• Teacher's resource books for school libraries
• Children’s dictionaries/picture dictionaries
• Encyclopedias less than 15 years old
• Children’s encyclopedias/picture encyclopedias
• Children’s thesauruses
• Paperback textbooks in math, English, geography, health, and science at appropriate level (kindergarten to 6th grade). Send no more than two copies of any texbook; these will be used for teacher resources.
• Books with universal themes (friendships, animals, love)
• Children's books teaching life skills about health, hygiene, adolescence and careers
• Accurate up-to-date atlases
• Books about Africa or African-Americans
• Educational children's science and literary magazines in good condition
• Brain teasers, flash cards, educational games and puzzles

We cannot accept:

• Books that are filled with small, dense print that might be too intimidating or boring for the age level
• Books with lots of slang, which may be difficult for English learners to follow
• Books for very young children that have many references to appliances and electronic gadgets.
• Adult paperback romance novels
• Books about United States or Canadian history or government (but DO SEND books about African-Americans)
• Books about North American or religious holidays (Easter, Halloween, Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, April Fools Day, Valentine’s Day, Chanukah, etc.)
• Books that evangelize or promote a particular religion
• Magazines except for children's educational magazines and National Geographics less than 5 years old

Statistics

Locations