News Stories

July 22, 2020 – Six Athens locals honored locals honored in UGA’s ’40 Under 40′ class of 2020 – OnlineAthens.com / Athens Banner-Herald

July 21, 2020 – Stop Summer Slide: UGA 40 under 40 winner pivots Athens-based nonprofit to get books in the hands of children in the time of COVID-19 – UGA School of Public and International Affairs

June 17, 2020 – Books for Keeps overcomes pandemic obstacles to keep distributing books – OnlineAthens.com / Athens Banner-Herald

August 13, 2019 – Books for Keeps Holding 9th Annual Gigantic Book Sale – WUGA

April 8, 2019 – Books for Keeps Seeks Volunteers for Book Distribution – WUGA

October 25, 2018 – Associate professor helps local youth succeed one book at a time – UGA Today / Columns

August 27, 2018 – Dawgs Have their Day of Service – UGA Today / Columns

August 16, 2018 – Annual Books for Keeps Sale to benefit young readers across Athens-Clarke County – The Red and Black

August 16, 2017 – UGA students attending orientation donate nearly 1,000 books to Athens area schools – The Red and Black 

August 4th, 2017 – Freshman get a jump on experiential learning before their first semester – UGA Today 

June 7th, 2017 – Melaney Smith and Books for Keeps – eTown News 

May 7th, 2017 – Books for Keeps belongs month long book delivery  – The Red and Black 

May 3rd, 2017 – Program aims to keeps student reading as summer approaches – Online Athens/Athens Banner-Herald 

April 16th, 2017 – AFB&T partners with books for keeps for April book drive – Online Athens/Athens Banner-Herald 

April 10th, 2017 – Athens teacher creates bibliobike to deliver books to kids in summer – Online Athens/Athens Banner-Herald 

September 15th, 2016 – Every Clarke Co. 1st grader to get former Bulldog Malcolm Mitchell’s book – 11 Alive

September 2016 – Organizations: Books for Keeps – Georgia Trend 

August 10, 2016 – Books for Keeps hosting book sale – OnlineAthens/Athens Banner-Herald

June 15, 2016 – Athens-based Books for Keeps will nearly triple book distributions to kids – OnlineAthens/Athens Banner-Herald

June 14, 2016 – Books for Keeps Featured at Clinton Global Initiative – WUGA

May 17, 2016 – Books for Keeps spends last few school days preparing Athens students for summer – OnlineAthens/Athens Banner-Herald

May 13, 2016 – Stopping the summer slide in Warren County with books – The McDuffie Progress

May 5, 2016 – Bulldogs’ Malcolm Mitchell, now a Patriot, shares love of reading with Gaines Elementary Students – OnlineAthens/Athens Banner-Herald

March 9, 2016 – Leslie Hale with Books for Keeps – Business RadioX Atlanta Business Radio

February 29, 2016 – Kappa Kappa Gamma hosts annual 5K Color Run to support Books for Keeps – The Red & Black

January 17, 2016 – Books for Keeps excites elementary students, improves literacy in Athens-Clarke County schools – The Red & Black

December 5, 2015 – Leslie Hale interview on the Good Works Show – WYAY Atlanta 106.7

December 3, 2015 – Giving Underserved Kids a Fighting Chance-Simply by Giving Them Something to Read – Huffington Post

November 23, 2015 – Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Nov. 23 – Flagpole

November 23, 2015 – Rachel Watkins New Books for Keeps Program Manager – WUGA

November 10, 2015 – Giving Back to the Inspiring Women Who Help Others – Huffington Post

November 3, 2015 – Books for Keeps Founder Recognized – WUGA

November 3, 2015 – Books for Keeps founder Melaney Smith honored as ‘Woman of Worth’ – Athens Banner-Herald/OnlineAthens

November 2, 2015 – L’Oreal Paris Honors 10 Women of Worth Winners Making a Difference in their Communities – PR Newswire

March 14, 2015 – Find out if you’re smarter than an Athens grade-schooler – Athens Banner-Herald

March 8, 2015 – Expo prompts Athens area children to read – Athens Banner-Herald

December 28, 2014 – Books for Keeps to receive $10K for reading program – Athens Banner-Herald

December 18, 2014 – Athens’ Books for Keeps Wins Grant – WUGA

July 30, 2014 – Newsmakers with Tim Bryant – News Talk 1340 WGAU – starting at minute mark 29:03

July 28, 2014 – Books for Keeps to host fundraiser – Classic City Today

July 27, 2014 – Liz Talk with Liz Dalton – News Talk 1340 WGAU – starting at minute mark 18:34

May 23, 2014 – Community Life in Northeast Georgia – 88.3 FM WPPR

May 7, 2014 – Dunbar Elementary School photo gallery – Georgia Family Connection

May 6, 2014 – Athens nonprofit delivers summer reading books to low-income students – Athens Banner Herald

May 5, 2014 – Atlanta students given books for summer reading – Atlanta Journal Constitution

May 4, 2014 – Books for Keeps Donates 12 Books Each to Dunbar Elementary Students for Summer Reading – Talk Up APS, Atlanta Public Schools

April 30, 2014 – Georgia’s First Lady visits Dunbar Elementary –  Atlanta Public Schools photo gallery

April 6, 2014 – Fowler Drive Elementary wins inaugural benefit competition– Athens Banner-Herald 

March 20, 2014 – Local charity pits students against adults in trivia – Red & Black

March 9, 2014 – Radio Interview with Liz Dalton – News Talk 1340 WGAU – starting at minute mark 35:00

January 13, 2014 – Book charity must find new warehouse – Athens Banner-Herald 

December 18, 2013 – Radio Interview with Barbara Dooley – News Talk 1340 WGAU

December 8, 2013 – Books for Keeps seeks to sponsor more school children – Athens Banner-Herald

December 3, 2013 – Books for Keeps prepares for 2014 distribution – Classic City Today

November/December 2013 – Alumni Today: Page Turners – Carolina Alumni Review

November 10, 2013 – Mayor’s Call to Service announces organization and volunteer of the week – Athens Banner-Herald 

September 22, 2013 – Exceptionals: Melaney Smith – Athens Banner-Herald

August 31, 2013 – Radio Interview with Liz Dalton – News Talk 1340 WGAU

August 20, 2013 – Books for Keeps expands, gears up for book sale fundraiser – Athens Banner-Herald 

June 10, 2013 – Books For Keeps hires first official executive director – Athens Banner-Herald

June 6, 2013 – Alumni help keep books in the hands of Athens-area children – UGA Alumni Association 

June 3, 2013 – Books for Keeps Hires Leslie Hale as Full-Time Director – Athens Patch

April 30, 2013 – Books For Keeps distributes books, helps stop summer slide – Athens Banner-Herald

March 5, 2013 – Athens Books for Keeps seeking book drive participants – Athens Banner-Herald 

August 23, 2012 – Books for Keeps Holds Massive Book Sale, Thursday Through Sunday – Athens Patch

May 8, 2012 – Athens group hopes to keep up kids’ reading skills with books to take home – Athens Banner Herald

February 18, 2012 – Come Play at Avid Bookshop for Books for Keeps! – Athens Patch

October 21, 2011 – Books for Keeps Book Sale – Athens Patch 

May 11, 2011 – Blueprint: Book giveaway aims to keep kids reading during the summer – Athens Banner Herald 

May 9, 2011 – This Organization Plays For Keeps – Athens Patch 

Press Releases

August 2, 2016 – Books for Keeps to hold 6th annual charity book sale August 11-August 21

March 31, 2016 – Books for Keeps partnering with Malcolm Mitchell to spread the magic of reading to Athens first-graders

November 20, 2015 – Books for Keeps announces Rachel Watkins as program manager

November 2, 2015 – BFK founder named L’Oreal Woman of Worth, in competition for $25K grant

August 27, 2015 – Books for Keeps to hold 5th annual charity book sale August 13-August 23

April 25, 2015 – Books for Keeps returns to 10 area schools starting April 27

March 10, 2015 – Fundraiser to pit kids versus adults in battle of grade-school wits

July 24, 2014 – Books for Keeps to hold 4th annual charity book sale July 31-August 3

April 23, 2014 – Books for Keeps returns to 8 Athens schools starting April 28

April 18, 2014 – Nonprofit to give away 12 books to every child at Atlanta school April 30

January 14, 2014 – Books for Keeps facing emergency need for new warehouse space

December 3, 2013 – Books for Keeps asks the community to give the gift of reading to kids in need  

August 8, 2013 – Books for Keeps announces major program expansion ahead of Book Sale

June 4, 2013– Books for Keeps hires first full time Executive Director