A new organization called “Angel Says: Read” is collecting books from tourists to donate to the public libraries in Belize. The project which was launched this morning during ceremonies at the Leo Bradley Library is the brainchild of a former Washington Post newspaper reporter and author. Love News spoke with Jackie Spinner, Founder and Executive Director of Angel Says: Read.

Jackie Spinner; Founder and Executive Director, Angel Says: Read

“This is an organization that collects books from tourists. We are asking the tourists who bring their vacation reading material with them to Belize to leave their books behind. Our motto is “read it leave it”; when you are done with it leave it behind so that someone else can enjoy the book. It was one of those ideas I have. I have traveled all over the world mostly as a correspondent for the Washington post newspaper in the United States and I always took books with me and I always took them home. When I came to Belize earlier this year I decided that I need to give them to the libraries instead of taking them home. It was simply and idea and I solicited the help of some Belizeans to make it happen. The libraries need books here and many of the books are out of date; the library service does not have a budget to buy new books. The tourists are bringing the current releases that would be very expensive to buy and the ship here so we are trying to get more current books in the libraries; that is the purpose of the initiative.”  

The new literacy group’s motto is: Read it. Leave it.