ROTARY Clubs of Jamaica has started a national campaign to collect books from across the island for donation, as part of efforts to raise the country’s literacy rate.

The charity organisation on February 10 launched the project, which has been dubbed a “Race to Literacy” book drive.

Chief organiser Deika Morrison told Career & Education that the aim of the drive was to collect as many books as possible. She noted that the effort is inspired by the 2008 Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles, California, where Rotarians set the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most books donated to charity in seven days, with 242,624 books.

“In Jamaica, what we are doing is we are collecting as many new or nearly new books of any kind, and let me stress that — of any kind,” said Morrison.

Then on the occasion of the 36th Annual Rotary District 7020 conference in Kingston, which will run from May 1 to 7, the books will be donated, some of them to the people of Haiti who were last month rocked by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that destroyed several schools.

“There is a need in Jamaica for books; the country has a literacy rate of (79) per cent. Many children are entering grade one as emergent readers,” noted Morrison, adding that Rotary’s efforts has the support of Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Education Minister Andrew Holness.

People have up until April 30 to donate books, which can be dropped off at various locations across the island. These locations include all branches of Jamaica Money Market Brokers islandwide.

They can also make cash contributions to the drive through the Bank of Nova Scotia. For local currency donations, the account number is 822269 and for US currency donations, the account number is 822271. The money raised will go towards buying special books for children.