DANVILLE — The success of last year’s Readers’ Route book swap has prompted organizers to hold another one this year.

Area residents can support the literacy group’s efforts by trading up to five of their own fiction books for new ones Saturday. They can buy as many other books as they’d like for $1 apiece. Those who want to purchase books and not exchange any are also welcome.

Adult Education Literacy Coordinator Scott Heatherton, who organizes Readers’ Route, said the event will help draw attention to the local literacy cause.

“The book swap was a very successful fundraising effort done for the Readers’ Route,” he said.

Those who wish to participate will receive a ticket in exchange for their five books.

Heatherton prefers that swappers exchange only fiction books, because they’re most likely to be read and exchanged.

Some non-fiction may be accepted, but organizers don’t want people to bring reference materials or old textbooks to the exchange.

The purpose of the exchange is to promote literacy, Heatherton said, and also the college.

Those who stop by the swap can also get general information about the college and the Route’s upcoming Scrabble tournament fundraiser April 19.

Meanwhile, Heatherton and recruiter trainer Louise Free are still recruiting for 30 more volunteer tutors. They’ve found nine new volunteers, but still need 16 more.

The program is currently serving 116 students, which is about 60 shy of the goal set by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, which funds the program.

The college has offered online tutor training for a little over a year now, which helps volunteers complete about 6 of the required 15 training hours on their own time.

“It still involves working with a literacy staff member in the matching and making sure that they understand the adult student, but it will clear up the waiting (period),” Heatherton said.

Before the online training became available, volunteers had to wait months to be trained before they were matched with a student. The waiting period is much shorter now, Heatherton said.

“The inspiration doesn’t hold if they’re asked to wait. Online tutor training will alleviate that,” he added.

Free agrees.

“I can give them a start and then work with them on the other part of it that needs to be finished,” she said.

Free said those who attended the book swap last year enjoyed the exchange.

“They really enjoyed the book swap. They said it was different. They had plenty of time to look over the books ... some saw people they hadn’t seen for awhile. It was a really nice day,” she said.



COMING UP

Danville Area Community College’s Readers’ Route will sponsor a book swap from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the DACC Village Mall site. The public is welcome to join the free swap. Book swappers can bring up to five of their own fiction books to trade for new ones. Additional books may be purchased for $1.

The literacy program will hold tutor training from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 in the second-floor conference room at the Danville Public Library, 319 N. Vermilion St. Refreshments will be available. Additional training sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first three Saturdays in March at the liburary. For more information, contact Louise Free at 443-8868.