I became a Little Free Library steward through the Queen City Book Bank in 2021. Since building our library, it has received and given hundreds of books to adults and children in our community. To see the joy it brings to people is such a privilege and I am so glad I can help share the joy of reading.
I recently volunteered for The STEP UP summer reading program for kids grades 1-3 in Lincoln Heights held at the Althea Center located at the St Monica's Rec Center. The Queen City Book Bank provided books to support this program.
I have to say it was one of the most rewarding, important and memorable things where I have been involved.
The kids simply loved their books. You could see the joy in their eyes. This program was especially important considering some of their personal situations and the overall disruption cause by the pandemic.
I am so proud to be associated with such a quality organization as the QCBB and the critical work they are doing in our community.
Bill Gerth
Our school has a little free library. The Queen City Book Bank regularly reaches out to ensure that the library is filled. Anytime we need extra books, the Queen City Book Bank comes through for us and they even delivered the library! Thanks for ensuring that our kids and community have access to a variety of books!
What's not to love about books and more books! I have been volunteering almost a year at Queen City Book Bank (QCBB) and during that time the staff continues to involve more and more volunteers in their mission and vision. They train volunteers to go into the schools and become reading tutors and mentors, they have volunteers who are stewards of over 150 Little Libraries (stocking w/ thousands of gently used books) that are located in low income areas, and some volunteers who sort and organize books in their warehouse. They are piloting a program that targets at risk students insuring that they have access to diverse books that they can take home and build their own home library! As I a newly retired Media Specialist I value using my knowledge and skills to help promote literacy in our greater Cincinnati community. It is important to me that every child has the opportunity to be surround with books at home that they can read, reread and love. Queen City Book Bank is making that possible in our Tri-State area.
Queen City Book Bank has a program called Little Free Library (LFL). They provide books to my nonprofit and I, in turn, provide them to community members. Here are two stories from two individuals who benefited from the LFL program.
The Althea Center, Pat Leigh
1.
I have a granddaughter who just entered the third grade. She enjoys reading and our favorite outing is to any bookstore. As bookstores are in short supply, we have over the past few years created her own library at home. Periodically Ms. Pat has offered grandparents in the neighborhood the opportunity to select books donated by the Little Free Library to gift to our grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. This has enabled my granddaughter to rapidly expand her collection of books. Some of her favorites are those that depict characters that look like her.
H. Jenkins
2.
When I was younger going to the library was one of my favorite Saturday things to do reading. I learned early it can take you anywhere you want to go. My two granddaughters, 10 and 6, have learned that from me. They really enjoy reading and the younger of the two is really trying hard. We will keep at it and I'll pick up a book anywhere to help them get through this life called Journey. Keep doing what you're doing, Dr Pat. We appreciate you and God bless you. Wanda B.
I love this organization. They gave our building a little library box to share books with our students. We placed it outside, and our students can pick up books for free anytime. The book bank provides books for my little library anytime I need them.
A wonderful, welcoming resource for the community. You are greeted with lots of smiles and a team that is clearly committed to encouraging and championing literacy.
I have worked with the Literacy Network/Queen City Book Bank through my high school because I am one of the leaders in a service program that partners with them. It has been great working with them because our connect has been super supportive and easy to communicate to (through email). With our program we have been able to take site visits to the Book Bank and all the volunteers had a lot of fun. The environment is inviting and makes you want to come back. Overall the Literacy Network/Queen City Book Bank is a great program to work with and volunteer your time to!
I was given a Little Free Library box with the tools to set it up and my family has maintained it for 3 years now. I love that when I am low on books I can get refills from the Queen City Book Bank (they have even dropped off a box or two several times!) and the times that are open for folks to come fill up boxes of books to take home. What a sweet treat! It has been my joy to interact with a large number of neighbors, mostly children, through this outreach. I include DVDs, CDs, games, school supplies and little toys in the box too to see if I can capture the interest of little folk who might not be too interested in reading!
I am a part of a club at my high school that works with the Queen City Book Bank regularly. They are always so welcoming and fun to visit and work with, and they have helped us come up with ideas for us to promote literacy in our areas. They respond to our emails in a punctual manner and eager to help us grow our club while still letting us grow our leadership skills. They're always so incredibly kind and positive and its a treat to get to work with them.
I live in an HOA neighborhood, and it took over a year to convince our board to try a Little Free Library. Turns out the biggest objection was cost. When I discovered the Queen City Book Bank/Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati would provide a library and a supply of books free of charge, they decided to give it a try. Thanks to this program, we now have a very popular addition to the neighborhood.
For Confirmation and my basketball team's service project, I did a book drive for Literacy Network. Also, at my grade school we had an annual book drive with Literacy Network.
It is rare to find an organization so committed to its mission. The planning of its many activities and events Carrie’s out that mission on a daily basis. I enjoy working with the dedicated staff and volunteers.
Queen City Book Bank has worked with me and a few of my peers closely with a service program at MND, Books for the Better. Queen City Book Bank is an incredible non-profit whose mission is to help countless people across the Greater Cincinnati area have access to books. Queen City Book Bank is a truly unique and extraordinary nonprofit.
What an amazing organization! Education/literacy is the most powerful thing to help change our world for the better. This organization is making a different by donating books, time, energy to improve literacy in Cincinnati. I have volunteered with Books by the Banks for many years, and it’s inspiring to witness the work happening, one book at a time!
I have worked with the Queen City Book Bank for many years, and continue to happily volunteer there as much as possible. This past year, I, along with two close friends, started a service club at our school that works closely with the Queen City Book Bank and helps to spread its mission. Choosing this organization to work with was the best decision we could have made. The representatives from the Book Bank are so invested in their mission and it's very noticeable that they love what they do. They are all so enthusiastic and believe in their mission. Every time I've volunteered, they are always so grateful and when I'm there, I know I'm helping to make an impact. The Queen City Book Bank and Literacy Network have made such an impact not just in Cincinnati, but in the lives of those who volunteer as well. Working with them has helped me grow as a person and build character and leadership skills. I am so grateful for all the work they are doing to spread literacy in the Greater Cincinnati Area and I am so excited to continue working with them.
After seeing an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer about the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati, I went to their website, and contacted Annie Schneider, the director of External Relations, about volunteering. One of the choices of volunteer jobs was "Sorting Books". I am a newly retired elementary teacher and administrator and this seemed a perfect fit for me! I was pleasantly surprised to receive a personal response from Annie within days, inviting me to "come on down" and join in the fun of helping set up their new facility as a book repository for children's books that would be given out to the children of the region through various means.
On my first visit, I was treated with a friendly welcome, introductions to staff, and a grand tour of the facility. Annie explained the vision and mission of the Book Bank, and described the processes they were setting up in order to get books into the hands of children - books that children and teachers can keep and own. One of the volunteer jobs I do is to help sort and organize used children's books that are donated through book drives. After sorting into categories, we stock the shelves in the "library room" where teachers, parents and children can come to choose as many books as they want to take home and keep. I lOVE doing this. Seeing and paging through all the old familiar titles, along with many books I've never seen, puts this old teacher in hog heaven!
These books also supply the many Literacy Network's "Free Little Libraries" located throughout our city- another way to get books out into the hands of families, increasing book ownership, and a love of reading. I feel a small sense of pride and ownership whenever I spot one of the blue "Little Libraries" around town, knowing that maybe some of those titles passed through my hands and are on their way out to families.
I know the Literacy Network does many other things- like giving sets of brand new children's books to classroom teachers, tutoring for adults and children, hosting literacy events, and reaching out to the public and to donors. In all their endeavors that I've observed, the thing that stands out is the kind and friendly sense of purpose exhibited by the whole staff. They seem excited about their work, anxious to tell about it, and proud of what they've accomplished. They always seem to be looking ahead to ways they can keep things going and growing. It is really a wonderful place!
I worked with the Queen City Book Bank for my Senior Capstone Project as a Mount Notre Dame High School student. Of the hundreds of local nonprofits in the Greater Cincinnati area, I specifically sought to contact QCBB for this project. As a book lover, their mission to promote literacy deeply resonated with me. Working with QCBB was nothing less than a blessing. Their staff was wonderful, extremely cooperative, and open to all of my ideas. The volunteer work is engaging and in short, tons of fun. I can't wait to continue to work with QCBB in the future.