As I go about the days getting ready for Christmas, I find that I am not quite done with Thanksgiving! I am still counting my blessings.  First, I am thankful for my family and friends.  I am also thankful for the community here at PBS; it really is a wonderful place for all of us to come and visit, share and build relationships around a common bond in reading.  I am grateful for all of our volunteers, who improve the club experience for everyone else, every day.

It has been humbling to witness the club’s response to our Books for Kids drive.  The letter from Carmel Elementary describing how much the kids want books was heartbreaking: “I see our students come to the library searching for just the right book every single day (some several times a day)…” Our members did not let us down –  we reached our goal of 30,000 books for needy kids!  The schools are thrilled.  One kindergarten teacher told us, “Every day the children and I would turn on the computer and watch the number of credits rise…Your love of books and reading is going to help the children in my school enjoy some great books this holiday season.” To all those who donated, congratulations for a job well done!

I am thankful for all of our members.  Whether you’ve been with us a day or the whole six (!) years, you make PBS a tremendous place where we can all share in the joys of reading, life, and community.  The club stretches from east coast to west coast, from the Dakotas to Puerto Rico, and out to far-flung corners of America like Guam and the US Virgin Islands.  Military members serving overseas often can’t find books in English where they are stationed – so the ones that arrive from PBS members are precious.  We are strangers made into a family by books.  It’s a magical thing.

So whether you are celebrating Chanukah, Hijra, Solstice, Kwanzaa or Christmas this month, we wish you all the very best this holiday season!

Richard and

The PaperBackSwap Team