D.R.Y. Libraries

Donated Reading for Youth in the Philippines

A joint effort between National Book Store and A Hole in the Roof Foundation.
In November of 2013, one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded struck the Philippines, the deadliest storm to ever hit that nation. Called “Yolanda,” it destroyed many coastal towns in the Eastern Visayas region, killing more than 6,000 people, affecting over three million families, and destroying countless buildings, including many, many schools. Some were decimated, others simply washed away.  Supplies – including books – were no longer an option.

Now, as the nation – and particularly the hardest hit Leyte province and the regional capital city of Tacloban – tries to rebuild, it desperately needs help. The children now have precious few reading resources and even fewer places to study.Mitch Albom and his A Hole in the Roof Foundation  have launched the D.R.Y. Libraries (Donated Reading for Youth)  in the Philippines designed to reconstruct ten school libraries destroyed by Yolanda and stock them with books.

On Monday, February 24, 2014, Mitch Albom visited the Pawing Elementary School in Tacloban where he launched D.R.Y. Libraries and pledged to help raise $160,000 needed for construction,  partnering with the National Book Store Foundation  to get it done quickly. Beginning with a $10,000 donation of his own, Albom has also pledged hundreds of copies of his own books to start filling the shelves, and has asked other writers to join him. Many of the world’s best known authors – listed here – have joined in the cause, and have pledged at least 10 copies of their books, one per library, from their personal collections.

Stories are the backbone of life. This is our chance to help rebuild lives with them.

The First Library Opens June 19, 2015

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A library we will rebuild at San Roque in the Lyete province.
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A book pulled from the wreckage.
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New dome structure, which is more earthquake and disaster resistant
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The interior shelves will be lower, at children’s height.
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The interior shelves will be lower, at children’s height.
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Students from decimated schools now studying in makeshift places.
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Pawing Elementary School in Tacloban
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Some of the books donated by their authors
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Contributing Authors

The following authors have kindly donated their books to directly restock the  school libraries:

Rabih Aladeddine
Isabel Allende
Dave Barry
Sam Barry
Roy Blount Jr.
Lisa Brown
Michael Chabon
Stephen Chbosky
Mark Childress
Harlan Coben
Billy Collins
Suzanne Collins
Sarah Dessen
Alexandra Enders
Pamela Erens
Becca Fitzpatrick
Amanda Fortini
Ted Habte-Gabr
Arthur Golden
John Green
John Grisham
Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket)
Robert Hass
Amy Hempel
Brenda Hillman
Alice Hoffman
Khaled Hosseini
Greg Iles
Walter Kirn
Stephen King
Jeff Kinney
Sophie Kinsella
Sheila Kohler
Yiyun Li
Meredith Maran
James McBride
RJ Palacio
Ann Patchett
James Patterson
Ridley Pearson
Matthew Quick
Dawn Raffel
Jason Roberts
JK Rowling
Lisa See
Joan Silber
Nicholas Sparks
Maggie Stiefvater
Amy Tan
Scott Turow
Ayelet Waldman

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Fundraising Goal: $160,000

You Can Help

A Hole In The Roof Foudnation is a 501(c)(3) tax organization and all donations are tax deductible.