FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Students in the Fairhope public schools will have more books and other resources to choose from when they enter school next fall, thanks to the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Fairhope and the Eastern Shore.

Members of the Kiwanis Club began the effort to raise funds for the struggling libraries by forming Bookin 4 Books and holding the inaugural 5K Plot Trot and 1 Mile Fun Run on April 24. When the FEEF board members learned of the effort, the board voted April 22 to join the Kiwanis Club and donate $7,500 to the libraries.

“When we learned that the Fairhope schools’ library budgets were completely eliminated last year, and would again be eliminated this year, we decided to step in,” Jack Burrell, president of the FEEF Board said. “Although there are many needs for additional funding in our schools, we felt that this was one of those situations in which we need to give where the need is the greatest.”

Collectively, the six Fairhope schools’ library budget went from $54,000 to zero this year. The budget forecast for next year also has the libraries funded at zero, Burrell said.

“With zero funding, the schools can’t order new releases or replace old books,” Burrell said. “Magazine and newspaper subscriptions can’t be renewed, and up-to-date printed resources for research projects become scarce.”

The FEEF Board also issued a challenge to other local private foundations and corporate citizens to follow FEEF’s lead and help shore up funding for school libraries.

“Revenue generated by the recently approved sales tax will not help the libraries,” Burrell said. “We believe it is going to be incumbent upon the private sector to fill in the gap. It’s one thing to go through one year without funding, but two years would be devastating.”

The FEEF donation will be divided among the six schools, prorated according to each school’s enrollment. According to Randall Gautney, president of the Kiwanis Club, Bookin 4 Books has raised $11,400 for the libraries to date, not including FEEF’s donation. Those funds, based on an earlier agreement with the school librarians, will be divided equally among the schools.

“We were pleasantly surprised when we learned that FEEF saw the benefit of what we were trying to do, and stepped in to help,” Gautney said. “There is definitely strength in numbers, and this just proves that we can do so much more, as a community, when we work together.”

Between Bookin4Books and the FEEF donation of $7,500, Gautney said the libraries would receive a total of $18,900.

“Even with this remarkable result from a first year fundraiser, we’re still a long way from providing adequate resources for our libraries,” Gautney said. “I love that the FEEF board is challenging others in the private sector to join us in this effort. Every donation, whether it’s $25 or $100, can add up to make a big difference.”