SAN BENITO — If you’re doing a little spring cleaning, you might as well donate all those old books you have already read and help out a local student.
The San Benito school district is asking residents to donate gently-used books for students to read during the summer.
Chapter books for different ages, picture books and Spanish-language books are all being accepted until the end of May.
Those with an overflowing library looking to make space on their bookshelves can drop off gently-used books at any school library within the district.
San Benito school librarian Mandy Martinez said the book drive will provide children with reading material during the summer and help them engage academically outside of school.
“These books are for the students to keep so they can start their own home library,” Martinez said.
Originally thought of by Rangerville Elementary librarian, Leticia Rodriguez, the book drive is the first of its kind the district has hosted.
“People can drop off the books at any school,” Martinez said. “We’ll all be collecting.”
Schools will stop taking donations at the end of May and will prepare the books for students to pick up during the summer.
Martinez said the district is unsure on how they will distribute the books once the drive concludes but are entertaining a few options.
One thing for certain is that students can expect to find books at any one of the 17 Free Little Libraries the district owns around town.
Usually librarians replenish the small libraries with discarded books or donations from teachers in the district.
Books from the drive will be divided up among the free libraries.
Martinez said the district is also trying to reach out to the local public library to help house the books during the summer until they are picked up by students.