Graduate School 6th Annual Book Drive and Ribbon Cutting

The Idaho State University Graduate School’s Sixth Annual Book Drive has arrived and is in full swing, with books starting to line the windows and tables of the front office. Each fall for the past five years, the ISU Graduate School has hosted a K-4 Book Drive as part of their Grad School Gives effort, with a mission to collect 1,000 books to donate to local elementary school libraries for the holidays. 

The ISU Graduate School selects various books, authors, illustrators, and subjects through multiple sources to add to a wish list that anyone can donate to.The intent is to donate books that will expand the range of experiences for young readers, allow them to find themselves in a book – as a character, illustration, or plot line – and fall in love with reading. These books range from picture books to chapter books, such as “A Damsel Not in Distress,” by Bethan Stevens, and “Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights,” by Malala Yousafzai and adapted by Sarah J. Robbins.

Last year, 634 books were generously donated by the community, adding up to a grand total of 3,100 books collected since the drive began in 2020. This year, the ISU Graduate School once again has a goal to collect 1,000 books by October 31, 2025. Donations can be made to the drive in several ways. The Graduate School is proud to be partnering with Hares & Hatters Bookshop in Historic Downtown Pocatello for the third year, as a resource to purchase books for the drive, and to support local businesses. There is an online wishlist through Hares & Hatters, or books can be purchased in person and dropped in a donation box at the store located at 200 S Main St, Suite G, Pocatello, ID. Donations can also be made through the Graduate School’s Amazon wishlist, which sends the books directly to their office. In-person donations to the Graduate School office are also welcome in the ISU Museum Building, Suite 401. The Graduate School enjoys lining the front office windows with pawprints featuring the names of the donors to highlight the ongoing success of the Book Drive.

To celebrate the generosity of past and present donors, and to officially kick off the Book Drive, the Graduate School will be hosting their second annual Book Drive Kickoff Ribbon Cutting. They are welcoming anyone from the community to join them, along with the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce, on September 17, 2025, at 5:15 p.m. in the Graduate School office in the ISU Museum Building, Suite 401. Snacks and beverages will be provided, and book donations will be accepted. 

More information on the Book Drive and donation links can be found on the Graduate School website.