Saturday, August 17th @ 10am-3pm

We’re holding a free store at the library to get school supplies into the hands of local students! Students and families can visit on Saturday, August 17th, any time from 10am-3pm, to pick out what they need. Supplies will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• No proof of income or residency required.
• Limited variety of items available while supplies last.
• Only some supplies requested by schools will be available at the library.
• All items are donated by the community; the library has no control over the quantity or styles of available items.
• Visitors may need to wait in line while others “shop”. We appreciate your patience and respect for others in the library.

A huge thank you to everyone who has sent or dropped off items so far in order to make this event possible! It’s not too late to contribute (or contribute again, if you are so moved!) – we’re still in need of more of everything on our list in order to have enough materials on hand to serve local students who need them. Find out how you can help »

Monday, July 8th through Saturday, August 10th

Schools are out for the summer, but they’ll be back before you know it – and that means that it’s nearly time for a school supply drive!

While students can come to the library for free access to books, they need their own school supplies to excel in the classroom. Last year, we provided supplies to over 100 students, and with changes to the location and timing of other school supply distribution events, we expect an even higher local need this year.

To try and meet that need as much as we can, we are seeking donations of the following items:

• backpacks (regular size, no wheels)
• pencils (boxes of 24)
• pencil boxes/pouches
• erasers (white or pink)
• crayons (boxes of 24)
• colored pencils (boxes of 12)
• Crayola Classics markers (boxes of 10)
• blue or black ballpoint pens
• glue sticks
• primary composition notebooks (wide-ruled)
• plastic folders with 2 pockets
• 100-page spiral bound notebooks (wide-ruled AND college-ruled)
• college-ruled filler notebook paper
• 2” binders
• tabbed dividers (with at least 7 tabs)
• plastic pocket dividers
• kid scissors (blunt and pointed)

Order them from our Amazon wish list to be sent directly to the library, or buy them from your retailer of choice and drop them off at the library (or at 185th Produce or the Aloha Community Farmers’ Market, who are partnering with us as community collection points!) any time during open hours from Mon 7/8 through Sat 8/10. **Because our storage space and staff capacity are limited, please stick to only items from our list, and only new materials. THANK YOU!**

With high costs for school supplies, kids and teachers in our community are counting on us. (Last summer, the National Retail Federation reported that families with children in elementary through high school expected to have to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school shopping; and last fall, the National Education Association reported that educators spend an average of $500-$750 of their own money each year on supplies their students need.) Your donation of a backpack – or a binder, or a set of notebooks, or whatever you choose to contribute! – will make a world of difference to a student who otherwise would have to go without.

Our school supply free store will be held on Sat 8/17.