Frequently Asked Questions For DONORS: For DISTRIBUTORS For RECIPIENT INSTITUTIONS
The book project accepts children’s library books in good condition, reference books such as dictionaries, atlases and recent encyclopedias and textbooks less than ten years old. We also accept National Geographic, Reader’s Digest and Discover magazines and the children’s version of National Geographic World.Please refer to Donate Books link for more detailed list. No. The Book Project is run entirely by volunteers and we are unable to pick up donations. If you live in the Washington area, you can drop off donations of up to 20 boxes at our Loading Dock, 1775 G street NW, on any business day. The Loading Dock is open between 7.30am and 3.00pm. The Security Guard will give you directions on arrival. Larger donations can be delivered to our warehouse. Please call the Book Project office at (202) 473 8960 (Monday – Wednesday 10.00am-3.00pm) to make arrangements. The Book Project is a registered 501C (3) charity.When you complete our Book Donation Form, we will provide you with a “Statement of Donation”. We do not put a monetary value on any donation.That is the responsibility of the individual taxpayer. The Book Project sorts, stamps and packs the books. The World Bank pays for transportation from our facility to the local port of Baltimore, Maryland and for the cost of sea freight to the port nearest the distribution point in the recipient country. NOTE: The Book Project does not pay any handling fees, port charges or any charges related to the cost of overland transport in the recipient country. Those are the responsibility of the Distributor. The Distributor is responsible for paying any costs related to removing the container from the port and delivering it to the distribution point and for keeping the books safely stored until they are distributed to, or collected by, the recipient institutions. Distributors often enlist the aid of local service organizations, such as Rotary, to help defray the transportation costs. These agreements are arranged between the local parties and the Book Project has no part in the negotiations. NOTE: Book Project shipments enter the country as charitable donations and should not be subject to customs charges or duties of any kind. The Book Project ships the container to the nearest port. Overland transport from the port to the distribution point is the responsibility of the Distributor. Prospective Distributors in inland countries may arrange private financing to cover the costs of the overland section of the trip. Contact the Book Project to discuss your situation. The speed with which shipments reach the recipients depends on many factors, including: The number of shipments already in the queue The number of requests on file from your particular country (minimum 50 required before a shipment is considered) The political situation (political instability will result in postponement of the shipment) How recently your particular country has received a shipment. Once every 4 years. The number of stops made by the ship between the local port of Baltimore, Maryland and the port in the recipient country. Typical sailings take six to eight weeks.
Generally, the time lag between placing the shipment in the queue and arrival of the container in the recipient country is 18 months to two years. In the past the Book Project has had many successful collaborations with Peace Corps. Peace Corps volunteers are welcome to come to the Book Project and collect books to take with them to their country of operations. On the day the shipment leaves our facility, we send letters to all recipients, notifying them of the sailing time, the expected date of arrival at the port and the name and contact information for the Distributor. All the books have been donated and are sent as gifts to your institution. You should not have to pay anything to the Distributor when you collect the books. However, you may be responsible for transporting the books from the distribution point back to your own institution. The number of books sent to any recipient institution is a function of the number of institutions sharing the shipment and the number of people being served by the institution. In a normal 550 box shipment, books are allotted on the basis of one box for every 60 students in the student body of a school. Where possible, our packers try to include in the box at least 5 identical books of a given subject and a teacher’s edition, in addition to a variety of books which are suitable for the particular age group to which the students belong. The Book Project must receive a completed “Book Request Form” bearing the signature and printed full name of the principal or head master/mistress, along with the school seal and other relevant contact information. No. All applications are filed with other requests from the same country. If your application is successful and a shipment is packed for that country, you will be notified at the time of the sailing. No. The Book Project ships only books. We regret that we cannot meet any other requests. PLEASE NOTE: The Book Project ships only to schools, libraries and similar institutions. Requests from individuals cannot be filled. |
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