Public Notice Detail

ST. PAUL, MN – (Sept. 23, 1999)  Tonight, seven St. Paul judges will sort books to be donated to school libraries as part of an ongoing book drive spearheaded by Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan.  The judges will sort books from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Sept. 23rd, at the Ramsey County Government Center West, on the 4th Floor (use riverside entrance). 

In addition to Judge Marrinan, Ramsey County Chief Judge Lawrence Cohen, and Ramsey County District Judges Kathleen Gearin, Salvador Rosas, Joanne Smith, Dale Lindman and John Van de North will participate in the book sorting. 

“We know that illiteracy is a predictor of many at-risk behaviors,” said Judge Marrinan.  “Judges have a stake in the outcome because at some level, reading is crime prevention.”

Judge Marrinan encouraged Twin Cities residents to participate in the book drive. “It just doesn’t make sense to hang onto books that your family has outgrown when a child could be reading and learning from them,” she said. 

The drive began September 20th and continues through October 1st.  Organizers hope to collect,  sort and distribute 250,000 books.  To donate: 

• St. Paul residets can set out their new or gently used books along with other recyclables during regular collection. 
• Anyone else who wishes to donate books can take them to the Red Balloon Book Store (891 Grand Ave, St. Paul) or the Hungry Mind Book Store (1648 Grand Avenue, St. Paul), or designated branch libraries in St. Paul.
• St. Paul parents can donate books directly to their children’s school libraries.

Organizers are looking for books suitable for infants through young adults.  This excludes college materials, reference volumes and adult fiction.  After sorting, the books will be distributed to school libraries, classrooms and students throughout St. Paul.

In response to hearing that the average library collection in St. Paul’s elementary schools was nearly 30 years old, Judge Marrinan convened a group of women earlier this year to discuss ways to correct the problem.   Ramsey County Commissioner Susan Haigh, the St. Paul School District, Ramsey County Corrections, the St. Paul Junior League, the St. Paul Public Library and the Neighborhood Energy Consortium are all participating in the project.

“The beauty of this book drive is the collaboration,” said Judge Marrinan, noting that offenders in Ramsey County’s Sentence to Serve program will assist in the book collection.  “The courts, corrections and our schools all have a vested interest in a better community.  I hope this is the first of many joint efforts.”