PA R T I N G W O R D S

Sheridan Road sits down with with Bernies Book Bank Executive Director,
Brian Floriani on the brink of the opening of their new 35,000-square-foot facility.
WORDS BY MIRANDA DUNNE / LLUSTRATION BY KIRSTEN ULVE

W
alking into school and seeing a truck with the as a sustainable source of revenue, and is what the team at Bernies
Bernies Book Bank logo means one thing Book Bank will be able to accomplish with this new facility. From
for children living in at-risk communities hosting birthday parties and bat mitzvahs to corporate think tanks
throughout Chicagoland, another six months and team building exercises, this facility will welcome all to use the
of reading. The bridge between where unused, space as a community resource while also gaining perspective on
quality books are, and where they need to be the importance of books to education.
is filled by Bernies Book Bank. Bernies Book Bank collects, processes, Five years from now, the goal is to have an international leader-
and distributes books for infants and young children in order to help ship team whose job it is to replicate and manage book banks in
foster a love of reading and encourage a fair pursuit of happiness. other cities. Even when we were working out of our garage, we
From a 300-square-foot garage, to their upcoming 35,000-square- talked about building an American Institution. This is achieved
foot facility, this nonprofit organiza- through applying business
tion has repeatedly established and models to everything we do,
achieved goals, while staying true to and understanding fully what
their original mission: increase book replication looks like and
ownership in at-risk communities. how its done efficiently, says
With more than four million books Floriani, who believes that this
already distributed since their start new facility is a model that has
in 2009, Bernies Book Bank aspires potential to be reproduced in
to circulate four million childrens cities throughout the country.
books annually, with the help of The people at Bernies Book
their new Lake Bluff facility to Bank embody the belief that
open this fall. if theyre giving one child 12
This new space will not only books a year, they want to run
help distribute twice as many through that brick wall to make
books at an impressively low cost sure that all kids have them,
of 25 cents per book, but will because if its important for that
serve as a model for replication as one child, then its important
they look to open in cities across for all of them. The process
America. This massive Lake Bluff of bridging the gap between
facility will be home to a dynamic where books are, and where
educational childrens book exhibit theyre greatly needed, starts
designed for all ages, and an event with receiving donations from
space targeted towards entertain- big publishers and local book
ing corporate groups, workshops, drives. Once books come into
parties, and community events. the facility theyre processed
There is a seat at our table by volunteers, who sort, sticker,
for everyone, whether its money, and bag them. The next step for
books, or volunteering, I believe Bernies Book Bank is pumping
that what we do really well is these at-risk communities with
harness ambition. Whether youre reading materials by distributing
a CPA or a CFO who wants to through schools and clinics for
help with our financial model, a children. The objective is to get
retired teacher who wants to come books into the homes through-
in and sort books, or a Girl Scout out targeted communities where
troop that wants to host a book drive, we take all that ambition book ownership is astonishingly low. Once these desperately need-
and allocate it well, so that other businesses and organizations ed books are in the community, theyre encouraged to be traded,
dont have to reinvent the wheel, says Executive Director Brian passed down, and borrowed; but the main objective is that theyre
Floriani, who was inspired to do something different with his life being used rather than sitting in someones attic or in a warehouse,
after the passing of his father, whom he named the organization where they serve no purpose towards education.
after. Offering the red carpet treatment to all ages and abilities is
essential to operating a premier volunteer destination that doubles For more information, visit berniesbookbank.org.

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