The Great Falls Public School District puts on a free book giveaway each year to recycle and re-home discarded books and curriculum.
Dennis Martin, administrative assistant for the curriculum department, said each year they have an amazing turnout.
“It's our time of year where we take the books, discarded curriculum and discarded library books, and it's our chance to give them back to the community,” said Martin, who has run the event for the past seven years.
The Great Falls Public School District is the only district in the state of Montana that conducts a book giveaway each year. They believe it’s important to give the books a new home, rather than throwing them away to the landfill.
“What is old to us is new to them. We have people who rely on this every year, and it's great for the teachers in the smaller communities to come up here and get more books for their classes, the stuff that they usually wouldn't be able to get that, you know, that they don't have access to in a smaller district than we have,” said Martin.
Great Falls Public Schools has been putting on this event for several years and it usually takes place the second week of summer to allow the schools time to change out their curriculum.
“Having books in homes versus like, some people can't get to the library, and so, to give people the opportunity to have these books in their home, it just expands knowledge and expands the ability to read,” said Jessica Dyrdahl, a Great Falls resident and mom.
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Everyone in the community is able to go and take as many books as they’d like. Whether you are a homeschool teacher, or simply want to add to your personal library, all books and curriculum at the event are completely free.
Martin added, “There’s a big world outside of Great Falls and there's a big world just to be had inside any one of these books.”
This year’s book giveaway is from 11am to 6pm on Wednesday, June 19th and from 11am to 4pm on Thursday, June 20th. It is located in the gym at the Paris Gibson Education Center (2400 Central Avenue).
