Support a New Way of Reading

Print books. E-books. Audio Books. Books in Braille. Picture Books.

There are so many different kinds of books out there--different ways of reading--for people with strong personal preferences, or even medical or developmental requirements. Sometimes different formats are even combined to help new readers--both young and not-so-young--learn to read more effectively and efficiently...or to read at all.

Learning Ally is one such non-profit organization that focuses on the latter. As "the leading provider of audiobooks – including the world’s largest library of audio textbooks," the organization supports not only the products needed for a person with a reading or learning disability but also "a community of support" for parents, teachers, certifiers, and more Their mission? 

To promote personal achievement when access and reading are barriers to learning by advancing the use of accessible and effective educational solutions. (Learning Ally, About Us, Mission)  

And with recording studios in over ten cities in the US the organization does its best to create as many audio books as possible for distribution around the country. But they can't do it alone. In fact, in addition to their awesome volunteers--including my dear friend Rebecca--they host an annual "Record-A-Thon" to raise funds to continue their work. This year's fundraiser? Happening NOW. 

So, dig into your pocket just a little, if you so desire, and lend a hand to help keep this admirable organization afloat. You can even donate to the NYC studio where Rebecca volunteers tirelessly by clicking HERE.

Keeping the Books Alive

When hard times hit the economy, a widespread panic ensued in the publishing industry, as it did everywhere. People were laid off, companies were re-structured, some even dissolved completely. The growing fear that “books are dying,” especially the ones that are bound and printed old-school style, quickly escalated to dramatic proportions. While there has certainly been a significant decline in book sales, with major buyers cutting their orders, independent bookstores being forced to close their doors, and consumers leaning toward the cheaper and wildly popular e-books, the reaction has been a little out-of-hand in this blogger’s opinion. People love to read, and despite pinching pennies, they’ll always find a way to get their hands on the newest books in the market.

Try used books for starters. It’s been a trend of late to sell back and donate books in good condition to booksellers (like the Strand and HousingWorks in NYC, and the Salvation Army to name a few), where consumers can then purchase books a cost much lower than their price points. Then there are the not-so-well-known book swap websites, such as Paperback Swap, where people all over the country can swap, trade, and exchange books for FREE. Well, minus the cost for postage to mail a book off, but we’re talking minimal fee here, my friends. And if that’s too much for you, remember there are still those little things called libraries.

And then there’s my new favorite—drum roll please—Choose What You Read NY. As far as I know, this program is specific to New York City, but it has great potential to spread to major cities nationwide. CWYR is a non-profit book exchange that’s found its home in and around subway stops in the city. On the first Tuesday of every month, volunteers for CWYR are giving out donated books, just as the MTA gives out free Metros and AM New Yorks. There are three drop boxes in the city for readers to donate a book he or she has just read or it can be returned to the station on the specified date. All CWYR asks is that when you take a book to read, you drop it back off so someone else can enjoy it too!

Books dying? Come on! Just look at the fresh new ways to spread the book love!