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Programs | Book Donations | Program Overview

Program Overview

Since its inception in 1986, Sabre's Book Donation Program has strived to increase access to information resources in developing and transitional countries. Working closely with overseas non-profit partner organizations, Sabre has to date shipped new books, journals, CD-ROMS and early learning materials to more than 60 countries. These materials, totaling over 4 million books valued at nearly $120 million in the 15 years of the program, assist in-country development by helping to fill the needs of students, scientists, scholars, fledgling entrepreneurs, researchers, medical professionals and lawmakers.

Sabre's book programs are managed within each recipient country by local NGOs with links to academic, library, charitable or professional institutions. These partners, along with other Sabre collaborators, are responsible for receiving, warehousing and distributing books country-wide.

Sabre first works with its partner organizations to define subject areas of interest. Donations of educational materials are then solicited from U.S. and European publishers, as well as academic and professional societies. Offering lists of materials Sabre has selected and received are then sent overseas, generally by electronic mail, and partners respond with their requests. Finally, orders are packed and shipped in twenty- or forty-foot ocean freight containers from Sabre's warehouse facilities at Dunn & Company, Inc., in Clinton, Massachusetts. Only titles and quantities specifically requested by its partners are shipped by Sabre.

Over 200 publishers have participated in the Book Donation Program in the last 15 years. Donations have covered such fields as the arts and literature, business and economics, English language and education, geography and the environment, history, law and government, library science, medicine and nursing, computer science and the Internet. Most of the books are new, unremaindered college and professional-level titles, with a growing number of elementary and high school books donated in response to increased demand. The books generally are in English, the preferred second language in the countries served by Sabre, but Spanish-language materials at all educational levels have been added to serve the needs of new programs.