Children living in the downtown core have been given a unique chance to hone and maintain their reading skills thanks to the efforts of a North Toronto resident.
Kim Beatty founded and still operates the Children's Book Bank, a charitable organization that distributes gently used children's books to kids who might not be able to afford reading materials on their own.
The book bank, near Parliament and Gerrard streets, relies completely on book drives to keep its shelves stocked, and has handed out anywhere from 180 to 250 free books every day since it opened in May.
"The rule is that children take one book per visit, and if they come with a parent, they can each take a book," Beatty said. "We only keep high-quality children's books in very good condition. If it's something you'd be proud to sit down and read with your own child, we're happy to have it here."
Beatty came upon the idea for the Children's Book Bank after noticing that she and many of her peers had piles of old children's books that were going unused. Many donated their books to local schools, but she felt that there could be a better destination for reading materials that their owners had outgrown.
"I was always a parent who said yes in the bookstore and no in the toy store, and there was such a surplus (of books) in the homes of myself and my peers," she said. "A school like Upper Canada College getting donated books just doesn't make sense to me."
Beatty left her law practice to start up the book bank and her idea immediately picked up traction, with local homeowners adding their own books to the 50,000 or so collected through school book drives across the city and beyond.
"Families were so happy to have a good place to donate their books, where it would be appreciated and really help kids," she said.
The book bank's goal is to ensure that children have access to books throughout their formative years, with books geared toward children from infancy through Grade 6. Some books geared toward older readers have been donated, but Beatty said the book bank tries to shy away from novels and more advanced reading materials.
While the bank will take any good children's book in good condition, some items are more needed than others.
"We're desperate for dictionaries," Beatty said. "We can't keep them on the shelves. I read that there are 102 nationalities within about a two-kilometre radius of the bank, so there's definitely a need there."
The bank also takes monetary donations to help cover the cost of rent. If enough money comes in, Beatty hopes to hire a full-time teacher/librarian to help visitors find what they need and complement the volunteers currently on staff.
The bank also offers story hours where kids from local schools, day cares and community agencies can drop in and enjoy books together, as well as literacy help for children who want extra care.
If the Children's Book Bank is successful - and the initial response suggests that it almost certainly will - Beatty said she will look into setting up more locations.
"The idea is to perfect the model here and then set it up in other communities," she said. "We have to get this one running smoothly and see if it's got funding legs first."
The book bank is open from noon until 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and operates out of a historic Victorian home at 350 Berkeley Street. For more information, including how to donate, call 416-922-7323 or visit www.childrensbookbank.com