Texas Border Business
By Veronica Salinas
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College’s (STC) Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, Beta Epsilon Mu chapter, is collecting book donations to support “Jags Read,” an initiative led by PTK, aimed at expanding access to reading materials and promoting literacy throughout the Rio Grande Valley (RGV).
This project will establish Little Free Libraries at each STC campus, creating accessible spaces where students and community members can take a book, leave a book and discover new opportunities for learning. The chapter is asking the community to donate new or gently used books to help stock the libraries before they are installed across the college district.
Donations of fiction, nonfiction, biographies and children’s books are welcome. Books can be dropped off at any counseling department office across STC’s campuses.
Celina Jorge, PTK advisor and psychological science faculty member, said the project grew out of the chapter’s Honors in Action research, which explored how communities can help build a better future by addressing barriers to literacy.
“Through our research, we learned that access to books remains a challenge for many individuals and families,” Jorge said. “We wanted to create a project that would have a lasting impact by placing free books directly into the hands of community members through Little Free Libraries across our service area, with one at each campus.”
Jorge said access to reading materials can support educational achievement, workforce development and personal growth by helping individuals build knowledge, strengthen critical thinking skills and explore new perspectives.
For Francis Rosales, PTK president of the Beta Epsilon Mu chapter, the initiative reflects the impact students can make when they turn research into meaningful community service.
“As president of our PTK chapter, this project means a lot to me because it shows how small actions can contribute to a better future,” Rosales said. “I believe education can open doors and create opportunities, and being able to encourage reading and learning through this initiative is one way we can make a lasting difference.”
The chapter hopes the project will make books easier to access while encouraging community members to share resources and develop a lasting love of reading.
Community members are encouraged to contribute to the drive and help bring “Jags Read” to life. Each donation will help stock the new libraries and create more opportunities for students, children and families to connect through books.
For more information or to donate, visit any South Texas College Counseling Department office or call (956) 872-6440.
Information source: STC
