Author Gives to School Libraries

Despite the dreams of many young would-be authors, the vast majority of writers don’t make huge amounts of money. Even well recognized writers generally have other jobs such as teaching. But there are those few who are always on the bestseller list and make very good money. It is gratifying to hear that one of these, James Patterson, who has already given more than $1 million to help independent bookstores, is now starting an initiative to provide funds for books and other needs at school libraries. He has committed $1.25 million to the project. According to the San Francisco Chronicle (3/11/15), Patterson, who has strong memories of his weekly visits to libraries as a child, said that he "wanted to ‘shine a light’ on the problem of public schools with no libraries or underfunded libraries.” The Chronicle notes that in 2111-12, more than 8,000 public schools in the U.S. did not have libraries. Patterson is known as a philanthropist, focusing on book-related organizations and prizes. I know there are other authors as well who donate their money and/or time and expertise to reading-related causes, and I am grateful to them.