In March 2015, best-selling author James Patterson pledged $1.25 million to support school libraries across the United States . For children searching for their favorite stories, school libraries need more than a basic collection of books. Building a useful library requires funding for new titles, equipment maintenance, and reading materials that reflect students’ interests.
A Scholastic press release outlined Patterson’s partnership with the Scholastic Reading Club to provide grants to schools. Eligible requests covered books and reading projects, as well as practical needs such as computer repairs. Scholastic also offered matching value through Bonus Points, which teachers could use to purchase books and classroom materials. The award recognizes individuals or groups whose contributions have significantly influenced school library programs and students. The association cited Patterson’s financial support and advocacy as important contributions to school libraries. The initiative later expanded beyond school-wide libraries. Scholastic Reading Club administered the initiative and provided teachers with Bonus Points. Some students, particularly those attending schools without a functioning central library, depended on books kept in their classrooms. The grants were intended to help teachers offer a broader selection of reading materials without relying entirely on a school-wide collection. To illustrate the challenges teachers faced, Scholastic drew on findings from its Teacher & Principal School Report: Equity in Education . These findings highlighted the resource constraints facing educators and the importance of making reading materials more accessible, particularly in schools with limited resources.
Awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on each school’s needs. Applications were accepted through Scholastic’s network, which included 62,000 schools and 800,000 teachers. That year, Patterson also received the 2016 Crystal Apple Award from the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. In 2017, Scholastic announced a third phase of the campaign, supported by a further $1.75 million pledge from Patterson. The program offered $500 grants to 3,500 teachers to establish or improve classroom libraries. The 2017 announcement explained why classroom collections were important. The report found that 31% of teachers had 50 or fewer books in their classroom libraries. It also reported that 56% of teachers paid for books out of their own pockets.
The later phase extended the effort by directing additional funding toward teachers building collections for everyday classroom use. A well-stocked library or classroom collection can give students more opportunities to explore unfamiliar subjects, discover new authors, and find stories that interest them. By extending his support from school libraries to individual classrooms, Patterson broadened the campaign’s reach and helped address the need for accessible reading materials in more learning environments.
By April 2017, Patterson had donated $3.5 million to support school libraries, according to Scholastic’s announcement and campaign materials.
Earlier grants had helped schools purchase books, install shelves, improve cataloging systems, and organize library programs.
