NEWS RELEASES > NOVEMBER 21, 2024
MCHENRY, Ill. & TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 21, 2024 — Despite the widespread destruction and heartache unleashed by the one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton, Florida communities — such as those in Hillsborough County — are trying to return to a semblance of normalcy. Just one aspect of the rebuilding process is tending to the hundreds of pre-kindergarten through high school students significantly impacted by the floods resulting from the two hurricanes.
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the third largest school district in the state, is partnering with Follett Content to do something about it. The school district is using the Follett Book eFair platform to host a virtual book drive to rebuild students’ home library collections. It is running now through Dec. 1.
Community members, businesses, and organizations are invited to visit the Follett Book eFair platform and purchase age-appropriate books that, in turn, will be donated to the students spanning four grade bands: PreK to 2nd grade, 3rd through 5th, 6th through 8th, and 9th through 12th. To make it easier for donors to make large contributions, book bundles in the amounts of $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500 can be accepted.
According to AnnMarie Courtney, Director of Partnership Engagement, Philanthropy and Outreach for HCPS, the goal is to purchase 10,000 books to donate to the students who were most impacted by the flooding. Each student will receive no fewer than two books.
“Reading is such a critical skill and vital to a student’s success in school that when they lost their books in the floods, it created a huge void,” Courtney said. “This is an important philanthropic effort to support these students and keep them engaged in reading activities at home.”
As part of the HCPS-Follett Content partnership, the district will receive 20 percent back in the form of a Titlewave Promotional Credit that may be used to buy books to enhance school and classroom libraries. Courtney said the credit will help support spring literacy initiatives within the district. Follett Titlewave is an online collection development and curriculum support tool for librarians and educators to buy books for school and classroom libraries.
Follett Content, the longtime literacy and school librarian advocate, re-introduced Follett Book eFairs for the 2024-25 school year with the goal of leveling the playing field and extending benefits to educators and students alike. Community book drives, such as the one with HCPS, is but one way the company is utilizing its Book eFair platform.
“We believe books are power and want to see a world where everyone has access to them,” said Britten Follett, CEO, Follett Content. “We are proud to be partnering with Hillsborough County Public Schools in this important endeavor and look forward to helping other communities that, for whatever reason, need help getting books into the hands of kids.”
Follett Book eFairs are available to all PreK-8 schools in the United States and have no minimum sales requirements, extending reach and accessibility.
For more information about the HCPS virtual book drive, visit https://follettk12.link/a1m.
ByWater Solutions Collaborates with Follett Content to Bring EDI Integration to Koha
October 29, 2026
ByWater Solutions, America's forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that they have collaborated with Follett Content to provide EDIfact integration with Koha.
Read more
Follett Content Introduces Free Book List Notifications for Public Libraries
October 23, 2026
With the free Follett List Notification Program, public librarians select the list types they want to follow, and we deliver matching curated lists directly to their Titlewave® inbox, along with an email alert when they're ready.
Read more
Follett Content Celebrates Colorado Teacher of the Year Merci Ames with 700-Book Donation
October 1, 2026
Merci Ames, a science teacher and longtime basketball coach at Strasburg High School, has been named the 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year. To celebrate her impact, Follett Content donated 700 books to Strasburg High School, helping students build personal...
Read more
September 29, 2026
The public book sale welcomed 1,468 shoppers, who purchased 48,922 books during the one-day event. Combined with the employee presale, more than 50,500 books found new homes while helping support early childhood literacy throughout McHenry County.
Read more
September 14, 2026
One-day sale offers thousands of books at bargain prices while supporting literacy opportunities for local children.
Read more
July 14, 2026
McHenry, Ill. – July 14, 2026 – Follett Content, a leading provider of PreK-12 literacy resources, supported Page Ahead’s 2026 Book Up Summer program, helping distribute 79,959 books to 10,220 students across 50 schools throughout Washington state.Book Up Summer is...
Read more