Novel Happenings

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, Irene Freeman and Paula Rush, coordinators of the Conejo Valley Literacy Center, invited The Book Bag Staff and volunteers to the center to view the improvements made with the funds contributed by The Book Bag. Throughout the day, we were able to drop in for scones, crudités, deviled eggs and cake.

Irene and Paula presented The Book Bag and the Westlake Women’s Club, who are fellow supporters of the center, with certificates of appreciation. We were able to see the new window coverings and chairs that were purchased with our donations. These capital improvements have been necessary for a long time, in order to establish a comfortable environment for ongoing one-on-one tutoring in the center. In previous years, the center was able to expand their purchase of reading and tutoring materials with our donations.

The Literacy Center coordinates volunteer tutors for adults who need help in basic literacy skills. Most students speak English as a second language, or have extra learning needs. The students, who are residents of the Conejo Valley, can avail themselves of the center’s services free of charge.

The Book Bag is committed to continuing support of this worthwhile center. If you would like more information on the Literacy Center, visit its website at www.conejo.tec.ca.us/ or call Irene and Paula at (805) 374-1161.

The Oak Park High School Key Club, which is a 90 member organization of future Kiwanians, donated over 300 books to The Book Bag, the non-profit used book store located in Thousand Oaks on February 21, 2008. During the month of February, Key Clubbers, led by Brad Lewis, convinced English teachers to promote a book drive. Not only did the Key Club organize the book drive and collect the books – they sorted, cleaned and boxed the books as well.

The Key Club was recognized for their support when The Book Bag volunteer Bob Engler presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Club President Dani Gold. The books donated by the Key Club will be sold in The Book Bag’s retail store at 202 Skyline Dr., Thousand Oaks. Proceeds from all book sales are used by The Book Bag to support literacy programs. (For more information about The Book Bag, you can visit their website at (www.thebookbag.biz).)

Melissa Cook and Jeanne Johnson, Founders, with clock designed and presented to The Book Bag by Jayson Townsend an inmate in the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. Jayson has been a valuable resource in the development of the Escape Through Books Program.

The Escape Through Books program began in August 2007. As of April 2008, 2,100 books were sent to 900 inmates in 25 California prisons and community correctional facilities. By the time the program reaches it's one year anniversary (August 2008) we project having shipped 4,000 books to 1,500 inmates.

Letters arrive daily from inmates requesting books and expressing gratitude. The letters are both heartwarming and encouraging. To read excerpts click here.

The Book Bag staff and volunteers worked with the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club to provide 375 books to underprivileged children. The “Reading by 9” project is an ongoing program of Rotary International - aimed at providing appropriate early reading materials to children age 9 and younger in a effort to increase literacy in our youth. Pictured with our staff, Audrey Helix and Denise Powell: Vicki Arndt, President of the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club, and Susan Engler, director of Community Outreach for The Book Bag, and a member of the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club.

The Book Bag is pleased to announce that as a direct result of its successful sidewalk sale last September 7^th and 8^th, a donation was made to the Literacy Center of the Conejo Adult School in the amount of $2,000.

On Thursday, October 18^th, The Book Bag founders Jeanne Johnson and Melissa Cook presented Irene Freeman and Paula Rush of the Conejo Adult School a check for use at the Adult Literacy Center. The Conejo Adult Literacy Center coordinates approximately 160 volunteers as tutors to assist adults in need of learning reading and writing skills.

Students include English-as-a-second-language students, English Speakers over 18 who for various reasons did not learn to read or spell well as children, Workers in need of improved literacy skills for job advancement, and Cerebral Palsy Day School students. The Adult Literacy Center serves Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills.

The Literacy Center is at the Conejo Adult School located at 1025 Old Farm Road. The center is open during the school year Monday thrugh Thursday from 9:00am to 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information about the Literacy Center, including volunteer information, call (805) 374-1161.

On June 8^th 2007, Tim Gallagher, Publisher of the Ventura County Star, presented a Scripps Howard Foundation Community Grant of $3,000.00 to The Book Bag to further The Book Bag’s mission of promoting literacy by making books affordable and accessible to everyone in our local community.

Our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Gallagher and the Scripps Howard Foundation for their belief in the importance of literacy and their support of our mission.

The Scripps Howard Foundation helps build healthy communities and improve quality of life through support of sound educational programs, strong families, vital social services, and inclusive civic affairs with a special commitment to the communities in which the Company does business.

On Wednesday, June 6, 2007, The Book Bag was presented with over 1500 books from the 8^th grade Cadet Girl Scouts of Troop 557 of Newbury Park. The troop organized a book drive for us as a project toward achieving their goal of a Silver Badge.

"The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest achievement for Girl Scouts ages 11-14. Earning the Girl Scout Silver Award allows girls to expand their knowledge of community service. While achieving the Girl Scout Silver Award requirements, girls have a chance to see that one person really can make a difference in the world. The troop consists of 5 girls: Brittany Brown, Sara DellaRipa, Shandi Noble, Samantha Mhyre and Danielle Rakowski. They read an article that was published in the Ventura County Star regarding The Book Bag and its promotion of literacy. All of these girls are avid readers and they immediately saw an opportunity to help a good cause,” explained their troop leader, Wendy Brown.

Wendy helped these active, awesome girls visit The Book Bag to understand more about the non-profit. “The troop made the decision to solicit gently used books from their alma mater, Maple Elementary School. A flyer was developed to explain what the need was and where the books would be donated and the flyer was distributed to the school population via the student weekly packet. A contest was held among all the classrooms to see which class could bring in the most books in a one-week period. The two winning classes (Ms. Mutch in 4th grade and Mrs. Triplett in 1st grade) won a pizza party for their classrooms.”

The troop collected all the books, cleaned them and then sorted them based on various sort requirements defined by The Book Bag. They were so excited to see what could be accomplished with hard work and commitment!

“The troop learned many lessons not the least of which was how to delegate responsibilities, developing a project plan, solicit donations and finally, what it takes to coordinate a project. The most valuable lesson was learning the responsibility of commitment in fulfilling a need in our local community,” said Wendy.

The troop hopes to expand to more Newbury Park elementary schools and establish this collection project as an annual event.

The Book Bag wishes to thank Troop 557 for their initiative and hard work! What a treat it was, not only to receive so many books, but to have them all organized and cleaned for immediate sale! Thank you, ladies! You are more than silver, you are gold!

Monday, May 7^th 2007, Bob and Sue Engler of Thousand Oaks arrived in Kingman, Arizona to meet with Sharon Chilton of the Mohave County Library District. The Englers delivered 14 boxes of hardcover books (500 books) donated by The Book Bag in response to an article published by the Ventura County Star this past February describing the library’s need for “gently used books” for use in their traveling library.

The Mohave County Library District operates a bookmobile to reach communities throughout the county, many too small or too remote, to justify library services.

The Englers also spent time with library staff to learn how their plan for a mobile library was designed and implemented to help The Book Bag evaluate the feasibility of a bookmobile in Ventura County.

The Book Bag is a non-profit community bookstore located at 202 N. Skyline Drive in Thousand Oaks. The mission of The Book Bag is to make good quality used books available and affordable to all to encourage the love of reading and promote literacy.

The Book Bag celebrated our third anniversary with a sidewalk sale on April 27^th and 28^th 2007. The sale was a huge success, with over 2,300 books sold during the two-day event. Many thanks to all of our customers who attended the sale and took advantage of the great bargains. Special thanks to those who donated books and shopped at The Book Bag for the past three years — we appreciate your continuing support!

On Thursday, March 1^st, 2007, The Book Bag welcomed Brownie Troop #89 from Newbury Park. As a part of their community service badge, they managed a book drive for us. Not only did they present us with bags and bags of books, they spent time visiting and shopping the children’s section for more great books! They left with new books to read, and they proved that it pays to read and recycle! Thank You, Troop #89!

The Book Bag is now proud to be providing books for the Juvenile Detention Center in Sylmar. Kathleen Speer, a JDC volunteer, called us February 7^th, 2007, with a request that we donate books to the center. We already provide extensive reading material to the Ventura County Jail for their inmate library, and now we were pleased to provide books to youngsters ages 9-19 who need books to read. From Bridge To Terabithia, to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn; from Star Wars to Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, we were happy to choose books for them to stretch their reading horizons. Thank You, Kathleen, for thinking of us and giving us another opportunity to support literacy in our communities!

April 21^st, 2007 is Earth Day: a day to remember our planet by renewing our ‘reduce, re-use and recycle’ goals for the benefit of generations to come.

The Book Bag embraces this philosophy by collecting used books, and re-using them. We sell used books, and distribute used books throughout the community, including giving books to the Ventura County Jail, the Juvenile Detention Center in Sylmar, as well as sharply discounted books for the book cart at Los Robles Hospital. Books that have been loved “to death” are sent to the recycling center to avoid adding to the landfills.

Copyright © 2005 The Book Bag Last modified: 03/02/08

Copyright © 2005 The Book Bag
Last modified: 03/02/08