The AmeriCorps Reading Literacy Program of the The Santa Barbara County Education Office will host a book drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p m. Monday at several bookstores in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. All books collected will be donated to K-8 public school students of low-income families.

“Reading literacy is the critical skill for young people to succeed in school and for creating tomorrow’s workforce and leaders,” schools Superintendent Bill Cirone said.

The AmeriCorps Reading Literacy Program, in its eighth year, serves more than 900 students each school year. Students are typically in kindergarten through ninth grade. Members have helped improve the reading abilities of targeted students through a coordinated reading tutoring program.

As part of the book drive, AmeriCorps members will be in the stores to receive donated new books at Borders and Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara, Borders in Goleta, B. Dalton in Santa Maria and The Book Loft in Solvang. As customers approach the store entrances, members will hand them a flier with a suggested list of the books needed, and will then be available to collect the donated books.

The Santa Barbara County Education Office is an intermediate agency between the California Department of Education and the 22 school districts and two community colleges in Santa Barbara County. AmeriCorps is a national service program that engages thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds in a domestic Peace Corps to make a difference and get things done across America.

Wendy Shelton is the communication director for the The Santa Barbara County Education Office.