Courtesy: Linked 2 Literacy
Linked 2 Literacy is asking the public to donate gently used books as it prepares for what organizers expect will be the largest Wordstock celebration yet.
The nonprofit is collecting both new and gently used books over the next several weeks, along with financial donations to help offset event expenses before the annual literacy festival on Aug. 22.
Spokesperson Jo Sheets said nearly every genre is welcome.
“Gather up all those gently used books. We also take new book donations as well and drop them off at one of our convenient collection sites,” Sheets said. “Those are the two things that we are looking for the community to help with.”
Sheets said the organization accepts books for children and adults, including fiction, nonfiction and novels, as long as they’re in good condition.
She also believes more people are rediscovering traditional printed books.
“I’m starting to hear and feel an uptick in people loving to go back and just hang on to that book and curl up and read,” Sheets said. “We’re trying to get our kids away from screen time as much as possible, so those physical books play a very important role in the health and learning environment with families.”
Wordstock will be held Saturday, Aug. 22nd, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Antelope Park. This year’s event is moving into the larger Auld Pavilion and surrounding green space after drawing more than 1,600 people last year.
“We’re actually expecting over 2,000 people this year,” Sheets said. “The Auld Pavilion will kind of act as that place where people can go in and browse thousands of books that they can take home as many as they wish.”
The free event will feature thousands of free books, celebrity readers, children’s authors, Husker athletes, carnival games, tie-dye activities and several food trucks.
Book collection locations and donation information are available at Linked2Literacy.org.