Three longtime friends, Girl Scouts and avid readers recently raised $200 with a community book drive held at the Lone Star College-CyFair Branch Library.

Friends since kindergarten, eighth-graders Audrey Abbott, Becky Allen and Asha Raghu are now working toward their Silver Award as Girl Scouts in Troop #16126. This fall they decided to hold a community book drive benefitting the LSC-CyFair Friends of the Library bookstore.

A letter introducing themselves, sharing the purpose of the Friends of the Library and explaining they would return in one week to collect the books, was stapled to 200 paper grocery bags and left on front porches in their neighborhoods.
Raghu, who enjoys adventure and mystery books, said they filled some eight boxes with books (collected in about 20 grocery bags.) Abbott, who likes reading fantasy books, said the drive was focused primarily on children’s books. Allen, who prefers romance books, said the project was a great way to help out the community. They all agreed it was a fun project and were excited that $200 was raised.

“It was the most successful book sale we have had at Friends of the Library. The Girl Scouts collected and arranged the children’s books by age, brought them to the library (Dec. 8) where we had a table set up in the lobby and helped sell them by giving helpful advice to the parents,” said Roxanne Beck, with Friends of the Library. “The books were in excellent condition and would make great Christmas gifts. They even shelved all the unsold books. It was a lovely experience working with teen-agers who love to read.”

The Girl Scouts of America stress using the Silver Award as a vehicle to give back to the community, said Troop #16126 Leader Lucy Abbott. With a few more volunteer hours left for these Girl Scouts to complete the award requirements, another book drive is being planned for later this spring.
“I’m glad the library was so receptive to the project,” she said. “The Girl Scouts had a rewarding experience and felt good about what they did. It was a win-win for everybody.”

For information about the Friends of the Library at LSC-CyFair, go to LoneStar.edu/library/cyfair-friends.

Helping raise $200 for the Lone Star College-CyFair’s Friends of the Library are Girl Scouts from Troop #16126 Asha Raghu, from left, Audrey Abbott and Becky Allen. The fall book drive was held in part toward earning their Silver Award.