Updates

In April, the Rodriguez Elementary library magically morphed into a science lab equipped with safety goggles, experiment materials, and an in-house scientist. The librarian, Ms. Mott, was mysteriously absent, and her cousin, Dr. Stein, had taken over. Dr. Stein instructed them to place their hands on the scanner when students ...
Read More

Partner Spotlight is on Perez Elementary School. With BookSpring’s Books for Me program this month, Perez Elementary librarian Randi Sather transformed her library into a picturesque, serene campsite. I got the chance to visit Ms. Sather on two event days. On the first day, she took her first and second ...
Read More

Congratulations to all Family Readathon participants! Readers rose to the challenge to read a total of 90,253 minutes in February. They also fundraised to share the joy of book ownership with children who need more books at home. Over the years, BookSpring has opened this special reading event up for our ...
Read More

February 25th marks my employment anniversary as Executive Director of BookSpring, which started in 2015. As my motto is “Follow compassion, lead with reflection, and serve with commitment,” I’d like to take this time to share some of the triumphs and learning moments observed during this relatively brief time of ...
Read More

The e-book, like most inventions, cannot be attributed to just one person. It has a complicated, winding history in which several people and ideas played an important role. Depending on your definition of the term, the first “e-book” could have come into existence as early as the 1940s or as ...
Read More

Family Readathon readers have logged over 43,000 minutes and counting! We are blown away by everyone's commitment to reading for a cause and achieving personal reading goals. A love of books and reading and providing books to those who need them most is the ultimate goal of the Family Readathon ...
Read More

Kids, adults, families, students, schools…anyone who loves to read and wants to help improve children's literacy is welcome to join in the fun. During February, you can participate in book-themed activities and challenges and win prizes and awards. Proceeds benefit BookSpring and The Library Foundation. Family Readathon Are you a ...
Read More

Stories from Two World Traditions Two of America's biggest holidays happen this month: Hanukkah and Christmas. While I've been celebrating and watching people celebrate these holidays all my life, it came to my attention recently that I have no idea where these traditions came from. So I did a little ...
Read More

'Tis the season for reading! The holiday break is a great opportunity for kids to kick back and relax. What better way to relax than by curling up with a good book every night! Our volunteers shared some of their top children’s book recommendations for kids 3-8 years old. Olaf's ...
Read More

Do you want to get a tax deduction, but don't want to itemize your return?  Well, this is the year to do it!  Congress extended the charitable tax deduction benefit of the 2020 CARES Act until the end of 2021, which means that for most tax payers, you can deduct ...
Read More

The 2021 Central Texas Reading Survey provides great insight into the lives of those in our community and shows us a snapshot of what their reading habits have looked like over the past year. Now in its fifth year, this survey helps indicate areas for improvement in Central Texas and ...
Read More

Porch.com recently reached out for advice from experts, like BookSpring, to provide book lovers with tips on various topics. This is an excerpt from the article written by Lorena Romo. Every book lover will agree that reading not only brings you lots of benefits, but it can take you to ...
Read More

The promotion of literacy at home has long-term benefits for the whole family. Reading together not only has developmental benefits, but it also increases the parent and caregiver-child bond, creating healthier relationships and a more solid sense of security and empathy long-term. Steps to create a reader-friendly environment that inspires ...
Read More

Booktoberfest Champions Event celebrated families, individuals, or organizations that have supported BookSpring with either a cumulative annual gift of over $1,000 or have given $5,000 over a lifetime. These dedicated individuals have made early childhood literacy a priority, and for that, we like to take time twice a year to ...
Read More

Fall Day of Caring Fall Day of Caring is a day that embraces and celebrates volunteerism through a day of service hosted by United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX). Corporate volunteer teams, individuals from the community, and organizations like BookSpring can participate. This year's Fall Day of Caring benefited members ...
Read More

For a young reader, having access to books is paramount. Research suggests that increasing the number of books available to students, especially at a young age, leads to higher reading scores and academic achievement overall. More books in the classroom and at home means a student has more to choose ...
Read More

Research confirms that families play an essential role in promoting early literacy. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading daily to young children helps their brain development (O’Keefe, 2014). Families can foster engagement while promoting early literacy! Reading together establishes a shared event in which stronger bonds develop between parents, ...
Read More

One question that’s top of mind to everyone who has a child in school or works in a school is: What do we need to be doing right now to help kids make it through this challenging time? Our friends at First Book, a national non-profit clearinghouse for books for ...
Read More

Books for Me: Creating the Motivation to Read The research is clear: if you want children to become good readers, you must allow them to choose the books they read. If you encourage independent reading and let students choose books based on their interests, rather than prescribing texts you think ...
Read More

COVID-19 Updates BookSpring offices are closed to the general public, but we continue providing essential resources to families in Central Texas. Staff is available by phone, email, or appointment, and we are still accepting book donations. Families living in Central Texas with children age 12 and under can apply to ...
Read More

The Junior League of Austin (JLA) is donating $3,000 to BookSpring to grow our program staff. This generous grant will allow us to increase staffing in delivering our continuum of literacy programs throughout Central Texas. BookSpring is also proud to be a community project of The Junior League of Austin ...
Read More