The Bright Red Bookshelf Program recirculates gently used children’s books back into the community where they are made available free for families to own.  Books are collected in red crates at several churches and other community locations through book drives organized by volunteers of St. Catherine’s.  These books are then sorted, cleaned and affixed with a label, and then set out on bright red bookshelves at sites where low-income families will have easy access to them.
The concept emerged in the fall of 1997 by the Family Reading Partnership in Ithaca N.Y.  Bookshelves and collection crates are painted a bright red to capture attention.  Volunteers from St. Mary’s Church, Rochester began a Bright Red Bookshelf Program in June of 2007 and then the program moved to St. Catherine of Siena Church in Mendon in the summer of 2016.   Currently there are eight host organizations with Bright Red Bookshelves and as of December 2016 over 51,000 books have found new homes.

• Increase book ownership by families, particularly in low income homes.

• Encourage parent-child interactions with books.

• Involve community members in this literacy effort through book donations.

• Enhance the services of organizations serving as bookshelf hosts by providing books for the families they already serve.

Book ownership is important in fostering an interest in reading and a love of books.  If
parents are to read to their children, they need the books to do so.  Children feel pride in owning their own books.  They develop confidence in reading and acquire mastery when books are easily within reach and can be read again and again.  We believe that each book a child owns is an “appetizer” to library use.

• Approximately 27,803 books to Brown Square Community Health Clinic
• Approximately 5,474 books to Mercy Outreach Center, Strong Memorial Psychiatric Pediatric Emergency Dept., School #1 #9, #14, #50,#15,#36, #54,Monroe County Family Court  Children’s Center , Roberts Wesleyan College                                                 
• Approximately 1,235 books given to St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center
• Approximately 1,641 books given to Bethany House
• Approximately 2,160 books given to School  #44  
• Approximately 4,177 books given to School #28
• Approximately 223 books given to School #35
• Approximately 5,357 books given to Highland Family Medicine
• Approximately 3,018 books given to the Metro “Y’ Day Care Center

Brown Square Community Health Center

A public health center on the west side of Rochester which provides comprehensive health care to the indigent and working poor. Bright Red Bookshelf set up in June 2007.

St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center

Provides comprehensive health care, counseling, adult education and social work to individuals and families who lack health insurance. Bright Red Bookshelf set up in March 2009.

Bethany House

Provides shelter for homeless women and children without expecting payment through Social Services; all of their support is through donations.   Bright Red Bookshelf set up in October 2009.

Lincoln Park School #44

Rochester City School grades K through 7 which is located on Chili Avenue at the corner of Genesee Park Boulevard and Stanton Street. They are a community of leaders and scholars dedicated to nurturing curiosity and developing critical thinking skills and habits of the mind. Bright Red Bookshelf set up in September, 2011.

Henry Hudson School #28

Rochester City School grades K through 6 who has literacy as their focus, they integrate reading and writing into all of the content areas, including math and science. For students in our bilingual program, their focus in literacy is in both English and Spanish leading to true bilingualism as they complete their elementary years. Bright Red Bookshelf set up May 2012.

Highland Family Medicine

Caring for patients from the very advantaged to the most underserved and vulnerable in the city of Rochester. Bright Red Bookshelf set up April 2014.

Day Care Center at the Metro”Y”

Community-focused nonprofit established in 1844 with recreational programs & services for all ages. Bookshelf set up September 2014.

Pinnacle School #35

Pinnacle School No. 35 is located in the Upper Monroe neighborhood, close to Cobbs Hill and Strong-National Museum of Play. School No. 35 has a strong character education program that is important to the development of the whole child within a positive, productive learning environment. Bright Red Bookshelf set up September 2015.

Mercy Outreach Center

Strong Hospital 

Strong Memorial Hospital is an 830-bed medical facility, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center complex. Opened in 1926, it is a major provider of both in-patient and out-patient medical services

Monroe County Family Court Children’s Center

The Monroe County Children's Center is located on the third floor of the Monroe County Hall of Justice. The Center is designed as a short-term, drop-off childcare facility. It is free of charge for parents who are in court, so that their children can be away from the turmoil of the courtroom. Depending on the parents' court appearance, children (birth to 18) could spend from one hour to an entire day at the Center. A wide range of issues bring the parents to court including: an order of protection (for domestic violence), custody, child support, maltreatment, substance use, and juvenile delinquency. Because of the high turnover rate each day, the Center serves more than 3000 children per year.

Rochester City Schools #1 # 9, # 14, #50,#15,#36    

The Rochester City School District is a public school district that serves approximately 32,000 children and 10,000 adults in the city of Rochester.

Roberts Wesleyan College