Despite snowstorms and bitter-cold temperatures, the 2007 For the Love of Books campaign finished on a high note.

Two Act 48 sessions went off without a hitch, on Saturday, Feb. 10, (see photo on this page) and on Saturday, Feb. 17, when teachers shared their “best practices” in a program facilitated by Michelle Figlar, executive director of the Pittsburgh Association of the Education of the Young Child. She helped teachers define the term “best practices” and how their success translates to lesson plans for classroom work. Figlar also reviewed Pennsylvania’s early learning standards.

Participants shared their most successful lessons and left with a tool kit they can use in their classrooms.

The weather did not seriously hamper donations, according to David M. Pribish, coordinator of the Consortium’s Literacy for Life initiative, who noted:

“Books still found their way to all five Borders Books and Music stores. Additional drives, such as those from our partner schools and businesses participating in the Corporate Challenge, continue to be trucked to the Consortium storage’s facility at the Guardian Self Storage locker located in the Waterfront. A grand total will be announced within the coming weeks.”

Schools that had scheduled visits to Borders but then were forced to cancel because of the weather will not be left out in the cold. The Consortium is arranging to take a little bit of For the Love of Books to them in their home classrooms over the next month, including a new book for every child.

Details of those visits are being worked out with Borders.

Over the past six years, over 610,000 new or gently used children’s books have been collected and sorted for distribution. Despite this year's bad weather, more than 55,000 books came in. These have been recycled to the community food banks and food providers for distribution to their client families as “The Fifth Food Group – Food for the Mind.”

February 9th Kickoff/Borders Eastside

Holly McGraw of the Consortium, at left, talks with Comcast representatives  (l-r) Natalie Ricchuito, Sara Mongell, Jennifer Highfield at the Feb. 9 kickoff for For the Love of Books. Comcast is a partner in the event.

Rae Whitfield, district marketing manager for Borders Books and Music, left, and Kim Vitt, general manager at the new Eastside Borders where the kickoff reception took place.


Wayne Wilson, a member of the Consortium’s Board of Directors, stopped in at the kick off.

Returning partners for this year’s event included Comcast, which provided special on-air promotional services and underwrote classroom visits; Allegheny Valley Transfer Co./Allied Van Lines of West Mifflin, which provided transportation to move the collected books; Guardian Self Storage, which continues to donate space to house the collected children’s books; Whole Foods Markets, which catered the kick-off event, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, which helped with guest talent (storytellers, etc.).

Special thanks go out to the following for their underwriting support that  provided transportation for classroom visits to the Borders stores and the chance for every child to purchase a new book:

Allegheny Chiropractic, Inc.; Duquesne Light; Keystone Custom Fabricators, Inc.; Casturo Iron and Metal; Lee Supply Co., Inc.; Monongahela Valley Hospital, Inc.; Alpine Packaging, Inc.; Rudolph Antoncic III, M.D.; Comcast; West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority; C&B Trailers; and Anonymous.

It is not too late to add your donation to For the Love of Books! Contact David Pribish at 412-678-9215 or at dpribish@tcfpe.org for information or stop in at the Consortium office. 

February 10th Act 48 Session/Monroeville Borders

Above, Maria Paluselli, M.S. Ed., director of the Greater Pittsburgh 32° Masonic Learning Center for Children, led the first Act 48 session offered in conjunction with For the Love of Books on Saturday, Feb. 10. It focused on with helping teachers recognize students with language learning disabilities, using the Orton-Gillingham Approach. Below, some of the teachers in attendance at the program in the Monroeville Borders.


The Consortium for Public Education and Comcast partnered again for the sixth annual For the Love of Books event. Comcast conducted a corporate book drive netting more than 1,000 new or gently used children’s books. Pictured above from left are the Consortium’s Literacy for Life Project Coordinator David Pribish and Comcast’s Sara Mongell, Natalie Ricchutio and Jennifer Highfield, all Government and Community Affairs Directors.

Click here for photos from student visits to area Borders.