Nonprofit shows how to promote reading

Book Fairies, a nonprofit organization based in Freeport, celebrated a significant milestone on June 6, donating its 4 millionth book at Connolly Elementary School in Glen Cove.

Fourth-grader Briahana Romero discovered a golden ticket inside the book, “Princess Pulverizer: Bad Moooove!” and had the opportunity to meet it renowned author, Nancy Krulik, who signed the book for her.

Book Fairies is dedicated to collecting and distributing new and gently used books to under-resourced communities across Long Island, to promote reading and literacy. The organization believes that access to books plays a crucial role in fostering a love for reading, enhancing academic success and expanding life opportunities.

For the special donation, educators in Glen Cove partnered with Book Fairies to organize a book fair. Each child at the school was promised 10 books to take home so they could create libraries of their own.

“We had an amazing and fun-filled day, witnessing the smiles on everyone’s faces, from the educators to our dedicated volunteers, and especially the little girl,” Eileen Minogue, Book Fairies’ executive director, said. “It truly shows the positive impact of our mission, as people find joy in giving their books new life. The children who receive these books are filled with excitement, while the educators are thrilled to provide them with the essential tools for success. Our volunteers take immense pride in their contributions, as it’s a win-win situation for all involved. Our donors are happy in supporting an organization that is not only growing, but also making a difference in this crazy world. It’s just such a positive thing.”

For the past 11 years, Book Fairies has collected and distributed books to children in underprivileged communities on Long Island and in New York City. “Our mission is to collect books and get them in the hands of children … that don’t have access to them,” Minogue said.

Books that do not meet the organization’s criteria for local distribution are sent overseas, in partnership with the African Children’s Fellowship. Because one in four New Yorkers is functionally illiterate, Book Fairies considers lack of access to books a significant barrier to achieving literacy. Its mission is to overcome this barrier.

The organization has focused on increasing the volume and efficiency of book collection and distribution, and aims to give away a million books a year within the next four years. To meet that goal, it is actively seeking additional space, transportation and funding.

Functionally illiterate adults have limited reading and writing skills, which affect their ability to read road signs, handle financial matters, and comprehend essential medical documents. Shockingly, in lower-income areas, there is only one book available for every 300 children. In contrast, higher-income areas boast an average of as many as 13 books for each child.

“We’re making sure that everybody has equal access to books,” Minogue said. “I can’t imagine a home without books. Babies not having books to start their journey to literacy. Moms need to be able to read to their children. If the children don’t have the ability to access books and reading materials, they’ll be struggling to achieve literacy, which will eventually affect your entire life trajectory. If you can’t read, you can’t apply for a job, you can’t even get a driver’s license — you can’t do anything. So it’s a very simple thing that that people take for granted.”

Challenges and obstacles have arisen along the way for Book Fairies, including a lack of infrastructure, funding and space. But the organization has managed to increase funding, and leveraged technology to enhance its capabilities. It now rents storage space on 70 N Main St, where it can expand and process more books.

Book Fairies has focused on aligning donated books with the needs and interests of the communities it serves. It requests that donors provide book that are in good condition, and recycles over 12 tons of books each year that are of poor quality. And the organization uses recipients’ feedback to improve its operations, focusing, for example, on meeting the demand for Spanish-language books and books about diversity.

Without dedicated volunteers, Book Fairies would not exist. They are involved in all aspects of its operations, from processing books and transportation to coordinating events. Last year alone, volunteers processed over 880,000 books, enabling the distribution of more than 575,000. Their commitment ensures that the organization can make a positive impact.

Looking to the future, its goals include establishing remote job sites to facilitate book donations and pickups, acquiring its own transportation and securing more storage space, all in the interest of reaching more communities, distributing more books, and making a difference in more children’s lives by inspiring a love for reading.