UACED​ Aims To Collect 30,000 Books For Students In Black Belt Region

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development (UACED) has announced the launch the 17th annual Books for the Black Belt campaign, which will begin Jan. 30.

Click here to subscribe to our free Tuscaloosa Daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

The initiative aims to encourage UA students, faculty, staff and local residents to donate books for K-12 students in the region.

A mission of the UACED aims to help children develop a love of learning and reading by distributing books to students in Alabama’s 13 Black Belt counties: Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Pickens, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties.

UACED will look to deliver the donated books later this spring.

New and gently used book donations will be collected until Feb. 24 at donation boxes on campus in Honors Hall, Carmichael Hall, Wade Hall, Autherine Lucy Hall, the Reese Phifer Hall rotunda, Tuomey Hall, Pi Beta Phi sorority house, the Blackburn Institute office and the Student Government Association office.

UA says donors can also bring books to off-campus donation boxes at Ernest & Hadley Booksellers, United Way of West Alabama, Alberta Baptist Church and The House Tuscaloosa at the Stillman College Student Center and at UACED, which is located at 621 Greensboro Avenue.

UACED is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Click here for reference lists of appropriate books.

The goal of this year's campaign is to collect more than 30,000 books to provide one book to each child in the Black Belt. This follows the 2022 campaign, which collected more than 10,000 books that were distributed to 72 schools.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.