Yahoo Finance ‘Our economic engine.’ How proceeds from AAUW State College’s book sale are used
The annual AAUW State College Used Book Sale is one of Centre County’s most highly anticipated events. Avid readers and book collectors line up in the wee hours of the morning to descend on Penn State’s Snider Agricultural Arena, to fill bags and boxes with their share of hundreds of thousands of books.
Not only books, but puzzles, games and other items are available for a pittance, and the further into the sale, the lower the prices. However, the dollars that eager shoppers pay for their discovered treasures go a long way and make a big impact.
According to Sherry Crassweller, AAUW State College’s grants chair, last year the book sale raised $187,000, and netted about $140,000 after expenses. That goes on to fund AAUW programming and grants. Each year, about 20 or so nonprofits apply for AAUW grant funding and, consistent with the organization’s focus on equity for women, many of the grant-recipient organizations provide crucial resources to local women or girls, with past recipients ranging from Centre Safe to Centre Volunteers in Medicine to area libraries.
“Without the book sale, we would not be able to give out grants in the community,” Crassweller said. “I think that would hurt a lot of organizations that depend on a boost. ... The book sale is our economic engine, which allows us to do everything that we do in the community.”
AAUW also funds mini-grants specific to STEM opportunities for women and girls.
“Anyone facilitating STEM programs that are geared toward women and girls can apply for up to $500 to support program costs ...” explained Michele Crowl, co-chair of the AAUW STEM committee alongside Carol-Beth Book. “Our primary goal is to help to create as many STEM opportunities in our community as possible.”
Similarly, scholarships are available to girls who want to attend Science-U camps at Penn State, but for whom cost is a barrier.
“Usually about 12–17 girls receive funds, which comprises about 3-4% of the campers over the course of the summer,” Book said. “We provide a survey for the scholarship winners to complete after camps. Last year only two-thirds of the applicants completed the survey, but of those who did, 100% agreed or strongly agreed that getting the scholarship and attending the Science-U camp motivated them to continue taking STEM classes in school.”
Crowl is also executive director at Discovery Space, which currently receives financial support from AAUW.
“AAUW State College currently supports some of Discovery Space’s signature programs — ones that highlight STEM careers and local professionals working in them, called STEMPowered, and ones that teach useful skills that girls may not have many opportunities to learn elsewhere, like woodworking and metalworking, called Glow. Between bussing costs and the number of staff needed to oversee safe tool use, these programs are expensive to run but incredibly impactful for participants,” she said.
Mid-State Literary Council has benefited from AAUW grants for years, allowing the privately funded organization to provide scholarships for low-income women. The adult literacy program operates through Centre and Clearfield counties, offering classes and one-to-one tutoring for reading, writing, digital literacy, English as a second language and more. As a result, program participants are able to accomplish a variety of tasks that many take for granted, such as applying for jobs or housing, talking to emergency personnel, talking to family doctors or teachers or simply reading their children a book.
Last year, the Council worked with more than 350 families, through services in 15 towns across the two counties, and provided approximately $11,000 in scholarships provided by AAUW.
“(AAUW) providing this opportunity for people to learn and make progress in their educations, opens up a lot of further opportunities,” Mid-State Literacy Council Executive Director Amy Wilson said. “People ... can navigate the community and life, because now ... they have the skills.”
What to know about the 2024 Used Book Sale
May 11- 14; daily sale hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. except Tuesday, when the sale closes at 7 p.m.
Held at Penn State’s Snider Agricultural Arena on East Park Avenue, across from Beaver Stadium
Monday is half-price day; Tuesday is bag day (fill a cloth or paper grocery bags with books for $10 per bag)
For more information, visit aauwstatecollege.org
