Borders customers give gift of reading

By JUDE SEYMOUR

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Jennifer C. Hodge can point to volumes of research that suggest that reading to a young child and teaching them how to read are critical aspects of their development.

Research, however, doesn't always translate to dollars for programs such as Reach Out and Read, which gives impoverished children under five a book to take home and read.

That's where Borders stepped in, promoting Mrs. Hodge's employer, the North Country Children's Clinic,238 Arsenal St., as its agency in need for August.

For Mrs. Hodge, director of development, it was "a very welcome call" to hear that bibliophiles had responded to the challenge by purchasing 444 books, valued at more than $3,000, for the clinic's seven-month-old program.

Borders' Salmon Run Mall store has helped dozens of libraries update their catalogs and nonprofits refresh supplies since the drives started in 2004.

General Manager Tammy L. Agnew said patrons of the Watertown store buy 400 to 800 books monthly for the drives. The location has expanded its outreach to include St. Lawrence and Lewis counties' libraries too.

Ms. Agnew said of her customers: "They've very receptive and they always come in and they're always donating. It's a good feeling for everybody."

The Dexter Free Library, 120 E. Kirby St., received 560 children's books, valued at more than $4,210, after a Borders drive in June.

"We have a story hour on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and we've just got all these nice new books for the preschoolers to take out," said Elizabeth J. Nutting, the library's board president. "We're trying to strengthen our young adult and teen programs, so there's more up to date books for them."

To accommodate the new collection, Dexter librarians weeded out the older, well-worn books and set them aside for the library's Oct. 18 used book sale.

Besides Dexter, the Lowville, Lyme, Rensselaer Falls, Canton and Black River libraries all received Borders donations this year. The store also helped the library at Watertown's Coleman Montessori Center.

"As long as there's a need and as long as they're able to, we'll continue to do it," said Ms. Agnew.

This month's drive is for the Children's Home of Jefferson County, 1704 State St., while next month's recipient will be the Depauville Library.

Ms. Hodge is hoping for a strong response for Depauville, which lost its collection to a Sept. 21 electrical fire.

"After the fire, we want to make sure they have new books," she said.