In a community-wide effort, the Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space Rangers have been collecting new and gently used books for Sun Valley Elementary School over the past few weeks, recently hitting the 1,200 mark.

“Our goal initially was if we get 200 books, we’re doing OK,” park ranger and book drive organizer John Keesee said. “But the community really jumped in on this.”

The drive, which officially began on Feb. 21, allows community members to drop off elementary age appropriate books to the various regional parks in the area, including Lazy 5, North Valleys, Rancho San Rafael, Bartley Ranch, Galena Creek and Bowers Mansion regional parks.

With help from local community organizations like the Kiwanis Club and businesses like the Little Waldorf Saloon, the drive has now led Keesee to believe that the books can be spread around to several elementary schools that have yet to be identified.

“We have a huge surplus here,” Keesee said, explaining that Sun Valley Elementary would more than likely be taking a couple hundred books. “We’re doing really well. We have nowhere to store all of these books.”

Keesee, mentioning that he and his family are avid readers, said he originally got the idea for a book drive as the rangers were preparing for their annual reading week at Sun Valley Elementary School toward the end of April.

“We’re invited to come out to read to classes for the week,” Keesee said. “And I just thought it would be neat to do a book drive for them.”

Books donated will be allocated at Sun Valley Elementary School’s discretion, some going to the library directly, others to classroom collections and some to individual students.

“It would be great if these kids could take these books home for the summer and practice reading and enjoy them,” Keesee said. “Anything we can do for them, helps us.”

The influx of books will be greatly appreciated, Sun Valley Elementary School librarian Janice Cankey said, as certain reading age levels are needed, specifically fourth grade and above.

Washoe County library coordinator Ellen Fockler said that while book donations are not generally depended upon for school libraries, they are always welcome.

“Book budgets at school libraries have been under duress for a long time, especially at the elementary level,” Fockler said. “And some of our elementary schools do not have a regular library book budget.”

Explaining that since the county runs on a site-based budget management system, where each school principal is given a certain budget that is later allocated out, the library needs vary from school to school, Fockler said.

One of the biggest problems facing school libraries in terms of books is updating book collections.

“You need a library that is stocked every year with current books,” Fockler said. “Science books, space books, those things need to be updated.”

Keesee, not wanting to see any student have to go without a book, said he is pleased with the success of the book drive and is hoping to make it an annual practice.

“I’m hoping with this donation, it will help pump new blood, new ink into their library,” he said.

For more information about the book drive and donation drop-off locations, visit www.washoecountyparks.com. The drive ends Sunday.