OBI helps stock NYC libraries with 10 tons of books

Posted: December 20, 2006   By: Staci Dennis

NEW YORK - Sister Joan DiRienzo stood behind a mountain of books stacked higher than she was tall and tried to peek over the top to catch a glimpse of her crew loading boxes.

"I'm overwhelmed at the amount of books here," she said. "It's like being a kid in a candy store and you don't know where to start.

DiRienzo and several coworkers from Saint Bernadette's School in Brooklyn were at the Libraries for Literacy event held Dec. 9 in New York and sponsored by Operation Blessing.

The one-day event helped stock libraries for more than 30 schools and non-profit educational groups, with each group receiving about 1,000 pounds of new books.

"We are thrilled to have a colorful mosaic of diverse communities who all care about reading and education," said Jim Esposito, director of the OBI-supported outreach center in New York. "Many kids in the inner city do not have the opportunity to expand their horizons through travel, culture or specialized training."

"Reading opens up a world of adventure, learning, escape, dreaming, creativity and spiritual interaction," Esposito added.

Thanks to donations from major book publishing companies, about 10 tons of books –valued at more than half a million dollars – were distributed at the event. Educational action figures, florescent lights with shelving, reading curricula and thousands of colorful buttons were also given away.

"We would never be able to buy this many books for our school at once," said Sister Shirlee, who teaches English language arts at Saint Bernadette's. "It would have taken us a number of years to add this much to our library because the monetary value is so great."

In addition to stocking library shelves, books will be used by senior citizens to read to pre-school children, help incarcerated mothers reconnect with their children in foster care and for teaching English as a second language.

Esposito says the outreach will potentially help more than 5,000 children in New York City and outlying areas. This is the first year of the event and Esposito says he hopes to make it an annual tradition.

Educational and group representatives maneuvered through the room loading up boxes, shopping carts and hand trucks with books for all ages. By the end of the day, trucks, cars and minivans parked along the city streets were filled to capacity.

"This is like a Christmas sale at Macy's, only everything is free," Esposito said. "In being a part of teaching people how to read, we are giving them lessons that will last a lifetime."