The nonprofit Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, dedicated to improving childhood literacy by providing free books to children and creating a culture of reading, has a new home – and more space to complete its mission.
On Monday, the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank opened the doors of its new location, at 13913 West Parkway Rd., in the Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood.
Growing into a new home
The new 24,000-square-foot facility, known as the Mandel Literacy Hub, is designed to be accessible and accommodating.
“In our old building, we were operating in 5,500 square feet,” said Natalie Freidl, the book bank’s executive director. “In that space, we were able to process 45,000 to 50,000 books a month.”
But, Freidl added, the book bank had to limit how many books people could order.
“We could only have 20 volunteers on site at a time, we could only store so many books on-site,” she said. “We just outgrew the space.”
The new facility will allow the book bank to do more. Freildl cited enhanced safety for team members and volunteers as well as being in compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) as some of the benefits of relocating.
“We’ll be able to host more volunteers, host more shifts, store more books and bring more of the community into the work that we do,” Friedl said. “We have seniors that volunteer with us. We also have friends with developmental disabilities that come in as a part of their skills and workplace development to help us get the books out to the community. This new space is ADA-friendly and welcoming for all.”
What services does the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank offer?
The Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank focuses on acquiring books through donations and book drives. Volunteers sort books by reading level, then evaluate for quality and to ensure that the books are age-appropriate. The bank then distributes what they’ve collected to community partners, who pass them out to families and students.
“Book drives and book donations are a big piece of our programming,” Friedl said. “We work with schools and civic organizations to run book drives where we collect new and used books.”
The bank also puts some books on community bookshelves at recreation centers and health care facilities across the city.
New programming is currently in the works.
Want to get involved?
Get involved with the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank by signing up for volunteer shifts at the warehouse, becoming ambassadors for community events, or running book drives.
Said Leslie FitzSimmons, communications director of the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank: “Our volunteers [play] a huge role in what we do. This is a very different setup than our other space, where everything came and went out of one door. We have an opportunity to operate at full capacity without space being so tight. We are very happy about that.”
For more information or to register to volunteer, click here.
How can I donate to the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank?
Drop off donations at the new facility or at any of the 22 community bins located throughout the region. You can also donate directly through the website.
“We want people to donate the books that they loved to read growing up. We want your Diary of a Wimpy Kid, we want your graphic novels, we just want the kids to have a choice,” said Colleen Watt, operations director for the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank.
Literacy matters
Friedl, a former English teacher, recognizes the benefits of a literate Cleveland. She believes the Kids’ Book Bank can be a pivotal tool not only in literacy but also in setting youth up for success later on in life.
“You can’t learn an instrument or music without instruments,” Friedl said. “You can’t learn sports without equipment. This is the tool. The books are the tool.”