Thanks for Helping SEED School Fill its Library; Book Fair a Success

Every year, the National Press Club's popular book fair raises money for the Club's Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library. But this year, the book fair also helped students in desperate need of books of their own.

The Nov. 17 book fair marked a partnership between the Club and the SEED school, a public charter school that serves at-risk students with campuses in Anacostia, D.C., and Baltimore. As part of a literacy initiative organized by the NPC's Eric Freidheim library, book fair participants, including Press Club members and authors, purchased books and donated them to stock the library of the new Maryland SEED school.

The initiative was a tremendous success: All 130 of the SEED school's library books were sold.

A group of SEED students was on hand at the event to meet the world-famous authors, talk to book fair goers and autograph copies of their own work, which they gave to everyone who purchased a book for the SEED school library. Among the highlights: The SEED students were interviewed by C-SPAN's Book TV.

A reminder from chief research librarian Beth Shankle: If you purchased a book for the SEED school library at the book fair and did not leave it at the checkout, please drop it of in the NPC library by Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Author and philanthropist Alma Powell, a board member of the SEED school, served as honorary chairwoman of this year's book fair and helped us attract the biggest collection of big-name authors in the book fair's history. Thanks to Mrs. Powell -- and thanks to all of you for your support of the SEED school library. If you'd like more information on how you can take part in the library's literacy initiative or support the SEED school library, please email Beth at [email protected] .