Our group of seven volunteers worked hard this year! For the calendar year 2009, they have sent 254 boxes to our troops overseas. This included 4,305 books, 136 CD or DVD's, and uncounted magazines. They went to Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, Bosnia, and other places all over the world where we have military personnel. We have received thank you letters by mail, which are displayed on a bulletin board during the book sales. We have also received letters via e-mail. Numerous recipients send their thank you notes directly to the web-site also, so we are assured that this project is really appreciated.

We have spent $1,478 on postage for these packages. During the book sales, we have been asking the public to donate money for postage.  We have also received generous donations by mail, which has really helped.  We mail at the lowest rate, media mail, and try to send mostly paperback books to save. A couple of our volunteers prefer to carry the cost of mailing themselves as their donation, so they can include snack and hygiene items which are much requested.

A few years ago, someone in South Carolina saw some National Guard friends deployed overseas just as he was preparing to move. He had several boxes of books he didn’t want to move so he sent them to those friends. As others noticed and he began to receive requests for specific books, this grew into a project undertaken by his church. It has now grown into a website where any US troops can post a request for books and other materials. Individuals who wish to help fill these requests must fill out an application and be certified by a Notary Public to gain access to troop requests.

Through the generosity of donors in our community the Friends of the Library receive many duplicate copies and paperbacks of popular books. So we became a certified volunteer. Our volunteers search the website for troop requests, then search the bookshelves in the basement for donated books that can fill these requests. They usually fill group requests of a general nature, such as; “my platoon would appreciate books, magazines, DVD movies and/or games for recreation during downtime”. Each box includes a form letter telling a little about Blount County and our library and a personal note of appreciation for the work our troops are doing.  We have filled requests for cookbooks (Army cook wanting to improve!!), personal finance, starting a business, and maintaining family relationships at a distance.
 

We have sent children’s books to several units that requested them so parents could be taped and webcast reading to their children. More units are obtaining recording equipment and sending both book and CD to the child.  What a wonderful way to stay in touch. We sent books, coloring books and games to a hospital for the waiting room for visiting children.

The Friends of the Library cannot spend any of their money for purposes not directly related to library needs. So this program is run entirely through donations to cover postage. At the quarterly book sales donation boxes are set on the table and people asked to donate a dollar or two when they purchase books.  Some of our more generous donors are thanked in the box included on this page.

We receive thank you notes, both through the US mail and through Friends’ e-mail. Units have sent letters, certificates of appreciation, and even an American flag. A bulletin board with some of these thank you notes is on display at each book sale. Many thank you notes are posted directly to the booksforsoldiers website (www.booksforsoldiers.com). According to these notes, knowing that the people in this country stand behind our armed forces personnel is deeply appreciated by those who are deployed. They are impressed and pleased that total strangers would think of them and send care packages to them.

You can support this program in two important ways. You can send a check to the BCFOL at 504 N. Cusick St, Maryville TN, 37804 with a note “books for soldiers postage donation”, or you can become a volunteer. Volunteers must follow certain procedures, and must be willing to spend 2-3 hours once or twice a month. If you are interested, please contact Vivian Selecman at 379-2568, or Selecman@msn.com