Father’s Day is Sunday, and each year around this time I tend to look back to when my children were young. As the father of three fantastic children, I so clearly and vividly recall many moments curled up with my children reading to them, at all times of day and night…on the kitchen floor, in their forts, on old sofas and beat up bean bags, in bed and in the car.

Few moments in life can compare to the wonders of opening up the new world of language and communication and wonder and awe to your child. From those first moments of seeing and understanding new words, to now their collective love for ‘devouring a book’ — they possess the tools they need to be independent and to help them discover who they are and what they are destined to become in this world.

To find out more about the Sullivan Summit VIII, go to www.thesullivanfoundation.org/summit/.

Posted by David Murphy, President and CEO

Make sure to read the March 21st article in the New York Times written by David Brooks, entitled "Thoroughly Modern Do-Gooders".  This is an excellent article on Social Entrepreneurship and there are many points from the article that connect directly with what we have built here at Better World Books.

Maura Varian, Acquisitions Support Manager, hatched a brilliant plan earlier this year. One day, she thought, "Hey, we collect books. We sell books. And, most of us even read books. So, why don't we help people learn to do what we love most?" And, today, that plan is a step closer to fruition.

As of last week, 11 Better World Books employees have graduated from our local literacy council's tutor training program. The employee-tutors will be utilizing the company's new volunteerism benefit for this program. In essence, they'll be compensated for their time as if they were working away in our distribution center. For Better World Books, providing direct service -- be it tutoring, painting houses, or playing with children with disabilities -- is just as valuable as receiving, scanning, and shipping books. In the end, it's all about creating a Better World.

And, Maura's not done there. In an article which was released today by the South Bend Tribune, she is ready to take her dream of local literacy even further, saying I'd "like to see the partnership grow to eventually allow the company's own employees who have issues with literacy to get the help they need from the Literacy Council while they're on the job."

Thanks, Maura, we're right there with you!

For the full article, click here.