MARCH 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 31
Amy Zaslansky founded The Book Fairies
in 2012 as a solution for teachers who were
spending their own money to buy books for
students without home libraries.
What began as a local book drive that collected
3,000 books evolved into a thriving nonprofit
that collects and provides books for 355 highneed
schools and organizations across Long
Island and the five boroughs. To date, The Book
Fairies has donated more than 2 million books.
Zaslansky recently spoke with us about the
organization’s mission, what makes it unique,
how it uses technology, the challenges it’s
facing, and more.
Q: What is the mission of your organization?
A: The Book Fairies is a not-for-profit
organization that collects reading materials
for people in need throughout metropolitan
New York. The reading materials foster literacy
and academic success, provide a respite from
personal struggles, and nurture a love of reading
across age groups.
Q: What makes The Book Fairies so special
and unique compared to other similar
organizations?
A: While our primary focus is sourcing
books and getting them into the hands
of those in need, our impact goes deeper
than that. In addition to the books that are
upcycled through distribution, we recycle
approximately 12 tons of books per year
keeping them out of landfills. We are also
proud of our partnership with the special
needs community and offer more than
180 volunteer opportunities per week to
individuals in day-habilitation programs.
Q: What’s your favorite part of what you do?
A: The best part of the job is watching a child’s
face light up when they find just the right book.
I also love helping teachers finally be able to
create full classroom libraries that engage
students at all reading levels.
The Book Fairies Foster Literacy and
Nurture a Love of Reading
Q: What is the biggest
challenge of your job and
how have you dealt with that
challenge?
A: One of the biggest challenges
for any founder is hiring the right
people who share the passion and commitment
for the cause. Fortunately, as we continue to
grow and add employees, The Book Fairies
has built a strong leadership team with our
new executive director, Eileen Minogue,
and program coordinator, Sherry McGrath.
The Book Fairies is now better positioned to
directly impact Long Island’s literacy needs.
Q: What would you say are the biggest
challenges facing your organization?
A: Funding is always a challenge when there are
competing nonprofits doing incredible work.
We are constantly looking for ways to increase
our presence, so we become a charity of choice
for corporations and individuals. Additionally,
it’s challenging to locate space that is affordable
or donated so we can house the thousands of
books until they are ready to be distributed.
Q: How are e-books and other technologies
impacting your organization?
A: Contrary to popular belief, e-books are
not besting print books. It’s also notable that
students are able to better retain information
they read in a book versus a digital device.
However, we love that the e-reader makes it
more convenient for people to have multiple
books at once. We encourage people to
donate their e-readers so we can give them to
children in foster care who frequently move
between houses.
Q: Are there new initiatives or
programs at your organization
that you can tell us about?
A: The Book Fairies is excited to host our
first “Paper Chase” scavenger hunt fundraising
event this spring. We’ll bring teams together
from across Long Island for a fun day of
solving clues and completing challenging
tasks. It’s going to be a great family day that
raises money to support literacy initiatives in
our own backyard. We are in the process of
finalizing the details for the Paper Chase.
Custom Computer Specialists is proud
to sponsor Spotlight LI. Since 1979,
Custom has been dedicated to providing
Long Island’s schools, local government
agencies, healthcare facilities and
businesses with advanced technology
solutions and support. To learn more about
Custom Computer, or to be considered
for a future Spotlight LI, please email
info@customtech.com.
Custom Computer Specialists
Right People. Right Results.®
Spotlight Long Island
Students receiving FREE books
at its School Book Fair
Amy with Educators receiving FREE books
at one of its Community Book Fairs
Amy
Zaslansky
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