The Book Exchange of Marin arranges and funds class field trips from Marin Title 1 schools to our facility in San Rafael, where our volunteers help children select a bag of free books to take home. Teachers are also welcome to choose books for their classroom libraries. Last year, we hosted over 2,450 students, who took home over 26,000 books to keep and share with siblings and friends. In some cases, we visited schools to deliver books. Their teachers also took books for their classroom libraries.
To see a field trip in action, view this 3-minute video: Book Exchange Video
More Than Just Books
This is not simply a book giveaway program. Here’s what makes it special:
- Curated Collections – Our school liaisons work with teachers in advance to select age-appropriate, high-interest books for each class.
- Personalized Support – Volunteers work directly with students on-site to find books matched to their specific interests and reading levels.
- Bilingual Assistance – Our bilingual volunteer staff engages with Spanish-speaking students in their preferred language.
- Diverse & Current Titles – While most books are donated, we purchase popular recent releases and books featuring diverse, inclusive characters so every child can see themselves represented.
- Family Engagement – Each student receives a bilingual bookmark (English and Spanish) that allows their entire family to return for additional free books. We’re seeing a growing number of returning families, extending our impact to more family members.
- Continuous Improvement – We actively seek teacher feedback to enhance program effectiveness and incorporate their suggestions.
Environmental Impact
Beyond literacy, our environmental impact is significant. Here’s what Patty Garbarino, President of Marin Sanitary Service, says:
“The Book Exchange of Marin recycles used books and distributes them to students from Marin’s Title I schools. Over the past 35 years, over 250 tons of books have been saved from landfills while improving the literacy levels of over 50,000 under-resourced students—a remarkable achievement.”