Book-of-the-Month Club Launches First-Ever National Donate a Book Day™

NEW YORK, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of 85 years of sharing the joy of reading, Direct Brands' Book-of-the-Month Club is proud to announce its declaration of the first-ever Donate A Book Day™, commencing on Thursday, April 14th during National Library Week. This "Day of Donation™" is facilitated by a partnership with the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

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On April 14, readers across the U.S. will be encouraged to donate new or gently used books to their local libraries. Books not added to the library's collection will be given to the Friends of the Library, who use donated books to stock their booksale fundraisers for the library.

"What better way to launch the company's anniversary celebration year than by sharing the gift of reading with all of America," states Deborah Fine, President and CEO, Direct Brands, Inc. "We hope this creates excitement in every home to take a favorite book and pay it forward, sharing the stories they've loved within their very own communities," states Fine.

"We are excited to be partnering with Book-of-the-Month Club in this effort to encourage readers to donate books to their libraries," says ALTAFF Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed. "Donated books puts quality reading materials back into circulation in the community or can be given to Friends who will use them to raise money for the library. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved."  

To further the celebration, Book-of-the-Month Club will also launch an online promotion during National Library Week at facebook.com/BookOfTheMonth, where 85 winners will be rewarded for their donation efforts by winning a library of 10 new books to add to their personal collections, courtesy of Book-of-the-Month Club and Random House.

About Book-of-the-Month Club: Celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, Book-of-the-Month has shipped over 750 million books to its members. Direct Brands, the parent company of Book-of-the-Month Club is the largest direct-to-consumer club network for books, DVDs and recorded music in the U.S.  The company is home to such market-leading book, DVD and music club brands as Book-of-the-Month Club, Doubleday Book Club and Columbia House, among its 24 multi-platform businesses, as well as several other special-interest and lifestyle book clubs. The company serves more than 8 million members in the U.S. through its various club catalogs and online properties.  www.booksonline.com

About ALTAFF: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) is a division of the American Library Association that supports citizens who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries. ALTAFF brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century.  For more information, visit www.ala.org/altaff.

About the American Library Association (ALA): The ALA is the oldest, largest, and most influential library association in the world. ALA has approximately 63,000 members, and serves public, state, school, and academic libraries, as well as special libraries. ALA's mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About Random House: Random House, Inc. is the U.S. division of Random House, the world's largest trade-book publisher, and is owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's foremost media companies. Random House, Inc.'s adult publishing groups are the Crown Publishing Group, the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and the Random House Publishing Group. The Random House Children's Books division is the world's largest publisher of books for young readers. For more information, visit www.randomhouse.com.

SOURCE Book-of-the-Month Club