International Book Project

FAQs

How does an organization qualify to receive books from the International Book Project?
The International Book Project accepts requests for books from organizations that facilitate literacy throughout the world, such as churches, missionary groups, primary and secondary schools, community and school libraries, universities, and the U.S. Peace Corps. Applicants must fill out a form and return it to the IBP headquarters in Lexington, KY, either by email or through the postal service. Each application is evaluated by IBP staff for quality of organizational structure, English-language competence, and number of people served by the organization. If the application is approved, a file is opened, and the search for funds to sponsor a shipment begins. Click here to learn how to sponsor a shipment of books to send to an organization abroad.

What can I do to help the International Book Project?
The International Book Project needs financial donations to support operating expenses associated with the collection, storage, selection, and packing of books to send to IBP-approved organizations abroad. You can also specify that your financial donations be used to send a Mail-Bag, or a Special Occasion card to a friend or loved one, or to help match challenge grants issued to send larger shipments to a specified organization. You can also, by donating them to IBP, give your books another life abroad. The International Book Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and all gifts are tax deductible.

How do I donate books to the International Book Project?
The International Book Project will accept book donations sent to or dropped off at its warehouse in Lexington, KY. If you would like to donate books, review our donation policy. Please remember that IBP cannot pay to ship books to its warehouse, but shipping costs associated with sending books to IBP are tax deductible. If you would like to deliver donated books at our warehouse, please call 1-888-999-BOOK to arrange a drop off time. Please remember to include a financial contribution to help the IBP send your wonderful gift of books to our client organizations abroad. You can also download a packing slip and instructions on how to send your books at http://www.internationalbookproject.org/pdf/packingslip.pdf.

Does IBP accept donations of magazines? Why doesn't the International Book Project accept donations of National Geographic magazines?
The International Book Project DOES NOT accept donations of technical, medical, and nursing magazines at its offices in Lexington, KY. IBP has an enormous inventory of National Geographic magazines currently in stock. IBP works with organizations to send the specific types of books and magazines requested, and at this time, there is an ample supply of National Geographic magazines and journals to meet all current requests.

Why does IBP send so many books in English?
The International Book Project works to send our client organizations the type of books requested in their applications. Since English is the international language of business and commerce, most organizations request books in English from IBP. Organizations in Latin America often request books written in Spanish.

Do you send books to areas of need within the United States?
Yes, the International Book Project sends books to areas of need within the United States. IBP provided books to shelters housing Hurricane Katrina evacuees and books to schools in Iowa and Kentucky affected by flooding. Also, IBP annually supplies over 7,500 books to literacy organizations in home state of Kentucky. However, our primary focus is providing books abroad where there is limited access to educational material.

What is a Mail-Bag?
A Mail-Bag shipment contains 30-33 pounds of books shipped through the US Postal Service to any location that can receive mail. This means that books shipped through the International Book Project can be sent to the most remote areas of the world. The cost to sponsor a Mail-Bag is approximately $200 per parcel. This charge covers Mail-Bag shipment materials, selection of books, the overseas shipping costs, and the documentation that is necessary to ship between domestic and international partners. Please read about the U.S. postal service rate changes on Mail-Bag’s at http://www.internationalbookproject.org/news.php.

Sponsor an organization!

Do you know of a literacy organization in the developing world that needs books? If so, donate and restrict your tax deductible dollars to send books to an organization of your own choosing. All you need to do is have a representative of the organization to fill out an application to receive books from IBP, and donate $200 to Mail-Bag’s through our website. Click here to submit an application to receive books from the International Book Project. Donate today and send a Mail-Bag to your favorite literacy organization abroad.

Does the International Book Project send Mail-Bags to Peace Corps Volunteers?
Yes, the International Book Project has a long history of supporting literacy and educational projects developed by Peace Corps Volunteers. In fact, in 1992, IBP was named "A Partner for Peace" by the US Peace Corps.

If you are a Peace Corps Volunteer and would like to receive books from IBP, please download the application on the website in the clients section and send it to ibpdirector@intlbookproject.org. You must get your country director's approval for an in-kind donation for your project, and that approval must accompany your application for books. Please make sure that you list a permanent contact, as well as good mailing and email addresses on your application.

What is a container?
A 20' x 20' sea container holds approximately 15,000 books and can weigh up to 32,000 pounds.

A 20' x 40' sea container holds between 25,000-30,000 books and can weigh up to 40,000 pounds.

These containers are appropriate for shipping books to supply school systems, orphanages, and libraries serving large communities.

What is the "Books Out" program?
"Books Out" is a self-service program in which representatives from organizations abroad or in areas of need within the United States come to select books at the IBP warehouse and deliver them personally.

Examples:

A member of a church selects books to take on a mission trip and donates them to a library or school.
International students at UK select books to take to a school or library in their home countries.
Teachers from an underserved school in Kentucky select books to help build their school library.

What is "Books as Bridges"?
With the help of an AmeriCorps VISTA member, the International Book Project has launched a service learning program entitled Books as Bridges to respond to the need for increased reading skills and cultural literacy within the community of Central Kentucky. The mission of Books as Bridges is promote greater awareness of international literacy needs while providing hands-on opportunities for children to interact with other children worldwide through the sharing of books, art, and writing.

The Books as Bridges initiative matches fifty local schools and youth service organizations with sister institution abroad. Students in classrooms here in Kentucky correspond through a pen-pal program with students who benefit from book donations from the International Book Project throughout the developing world. The pen-pal exchange has provided an excellent hands-on supplement to social studies units and diversity studies. The initiative has been a vehicle to link classrooms around the world to increase awareness of cultural diversity and provide an international outreach tool for our participating students here in Kentucky while achieving IBP’s mission of increasing global friendships and world unity.

IBP provides participating teachers with a culture-gram that details basic information on the country where the participating classroom is located; the name and address of the participating classroom abroad; a disposable camera to capture memories of your students participating in the project, a $25.00 stipend to defray costs associated with international postage, film processing, art supplies, and a set of resource books from the Peace Corps that provides examples of lesson plans that meet educational standards to assist with implementation of the project. View our new Books as Bridges website and learn how your Kentucky or national classroom can get involved to help send books abroad. Click here to take a tour of the new Books as Bridges website.

The Books as Bridges program and website is funded by a generous grant from the Virginia Clark Hagan Charitable Foundation.