SCRIBD LAUNCHES CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM, SCRIBD GIVES, WITH FIRST BOOK AS INAUGURAL PARTNER

The reading subscription service will provide free books to children in need across the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reading subscription service Scribd today announced the launch of its CSR program, Scribd Gives, to support its mission to build the largest and most accessible library connecting storytellers with their audience. The company, which offers access to one of the world's largest digital libraries of ebooks, audiobooks, and more, is committed to inspiring curiosity, giving back, and highlighting diverse perspectives within the literary community. To kick off Scribd Gives, the brand has announced its inaugural partner, First Book, an organization that supports educational equity by providing millions of books and resources to its member network of over 550,000 educators from programs and schools serving children from low-income communities.

"Reading is crucial to childhood development, and we look forward to working with First Book to bring to life our shared values of educational equality and encouraging cultural understanding, diversity, and inclusion through reading," said Trip Adler, Scribd Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "Our partnership with First Book is the latest step in continuing our mission to build the largest and most accessible library connecting storytellers with their audience by providing books to children with limited access to them."

According to the U.S. Department of Education, up to 61% of low-income families do not have any books for their children at home. Together with First Book, Scribd will put books into the classrooms that serve children in under-resourced communities to help support their educational growth, comprehension, and awareness of diverse perspectives.

"First Book is excited to refresh classroom libraries in schools in low-income, Bay-Area communities alongside Scribd," said Dana Bond, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Alliances. "It's clear our missions are aligned - to provide young people with the books they need to continue to grow, learn, and develop empathy, as well as a greater understanding of the world around them. We are grateful to Scribd's help to support not only our mission but educators in under-resourced communities and the kids we serve."

To kick off the program, and just in time for the start of the new school year, Scribd has given First Book a $50,000 grant, which will support the donation of books for classroom libraries at Berkley Maynard Academy, a charter school in a low-income community in the Bay Area. The donation will consist of books that offer diverse topics and perspectives, encouraging cultural understanding and inclusion. To celebrate the classroom library refreshes, Scribd and First Book teamed up with authors Bonnie Tsui and Angela Dalton, who will participate in a live reading with Berkley Maynard Academy students. Scribd has also given funds to 100 additional Bay Area schools to purchase books for their classrooms or libraries.

"At Berkley Maynard Academy, we want students to be able to read books that expose them to the beauty, history, and cultures of other people in their school, community, and the greater world. This inclusion goes beyond race: we want our students to read books that normalize gender inclusivity, reflect various family structures, and celebrate and affirm the LGBTQIA+ community," said Jason Stack Principal of Berkley Maynard Academy. "These new classroom libraries from Scribd and First Book will provide a fresh infusion of books to help center people and students that are often marginalized and not represented in mainstream culture."

For more details about Scribd's offerings and partnership with First Book please visit: https://www.scribd.com/.

Scribd is the reading subscription service that's building one of the largest and most accessible libraries connecting storytellers with their audience. For $11.99 a month, Scribd offers access to some of the best ebooks, audiobooks, documents, magazine articles, podcasts, and presentations. Scribd works directly with publishers to constantly add new content to the platform and provide its subscribers with high-quality and personalized reading recommendations. Scribd's goal is to inspire curiosity and learning through its diverse range of content, which amplifies important topics and underrepresented authors. The app is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as web browsers and Apple Watch.

Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1992 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is a leader in the educational equity field. Over its 30-year history, First Book has distributed more than 225 million books and educational resources, with a retail value of more than $2 billion. First Book believes education offers children in need the best path out of poverty. First Book breaks down barriers to quality education by providing its Network of more than 550,000 registered teachers, librarians, after school program leaders, and others serving children in need with millions of free and affordable new, high-quality books, educational resources, and basic needs items through the award-winning First Book Marketplace nonprofit eCommerce site. The First Book Network comprises the largest and fastest-growing community of formal and informal educators serving children in need.

First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research-based strategies to the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources. First Book Impact Funds target support to areas of need, such as rural communities or increasing diversity in children's books. For more information about First Book, please visit www.firstbook.org.

Contact: 
Ian Kenison 
603-568-0558 
[email protected]

SOURCE First Book