Need free books for disadvantaged teens off to vet med school

[wisdomofwomen]

Only got snarky replies 🙄in children's books chat so posting here for traffic

I work for an amazing charity that helps disadvantaged teens get to top unis. I want a couple of new or used books - james Heriot and the like - for my wannabe vets. Drawn a blank with amazon. Who else can I approach for new or used copies of these books? Will need about 30 in total.

Am I being unreasonable in expecting to find a charity that helps in this way?

They don't need books at Vet school. Everything will be free on line and libraries are well stocked. No sure James Herriot is v relevant these days !

Ask BVA if they can supply you a free subscription to their magazine. It will be much more useful to anyone wanting to be a vet.

Not snarky in the slightest.

Not even a whiff of snarkiness.

One commented just pointed out James heriet, a very born in 1916 and died 40 years ago may not be very useful

The library is obviously there for everyone
both before and when/if they go to Uni

I have no idea on relevant charities for this

I bought James Herriot books from ebay for about £1 each. A great laugh, which vet students might like, but I would have thought modern, relevant books more useful. I thought uni libraries supply them for free to borrow?

If your charity can't afford (but check vinted etc, people sell their textbooks and the like incredibly cheaply) I'd instead recommend reaching out to your local library or a local university library and have a meeting there, I went on one as the disadvantaged student a years ago, look around the library, learn how they can borrow, lots of university libraries allow free access for 6th formers. I think going to another charity for a book grant will end up being quite a long process.

If you're a registered charity it might be worth reaching out to the publishers directly and seeing if they would be willing to donate some copies if it's only small number you're after (aka 30 copies). I've had varying degrees of success with freebies from publishers in the past...I'd say a 40% success rate or thereabouts. It's always worth a try.

James Herriot is not really vet candidate reading. It's fiction and set in the 30s and 40s and in rural Yorkshire. You could look on ebay for cheap copies if you think it's worth it. They are fun books for anyone to read but I don't see the relevance for teenagers hoping to become vets and go to top unis to study.

Maybe it would be more useful to ask the top universities what they would like the candidates to read? James Herriot is not at all relevant now to understanding what being a vet would be like, or gaining useful insight into studying it.

At a pinch, they can learn about animals from books like the Spot series.

See Spot Run
See Spot Stick His Hand Up a Cow's Jacksie

Etc

Wouldn't it be better to ask RVC and other vet schools if you could put up adverts on notice boards and on their student portal etc asking final years/recent grads to donate their textbooks?
Or go on newly qualified/grad vet forums?

Twee stories written in the 1940s probably won't be that useful in trying to get into vet school.

Your better off signposting them to the ethics code of conduct to be honest.

World of books sell cheap 2nd hand books. Including university text books.

You work for a charity that supplies books why are you looking for a charity to supply you with books? Isn't that your job??

What about Oxfam? They take used books in any condition.

Laughing at the prospect of Amazon giving anything away!

Also, if you work for a charity are you really expecting another charity to give stuff away for free?

I might have missed something here, but why can't they take books out of the library to read?

Could you ask for donations on your local paper, facebook, gumtree?

Also, ask local university/college/local libraries if there are old books they don't need that can be donated to you. University and college libraries are constantly updating/revising their book collections.

There is a really popular book exchange nearby where books are left/taken from this stand in a shopping centre. It is so busy with lots of people keen to leave their old books.

Ask around, lots are desperate to get rid of books.

It’s great that you want to help but it seems like a very ineffective use of time. You can have access to downloadable books if you sign
with your local
library. Some school liveries are ok.
Otherwise I’d just post on local Facebook groups. As
soon as books are been posted it’s not going to be cost effective.
To have a chance at being a vet students, regardless of how privileged they are need to proactive.

And reading fictional books won't help becoming a vet at all. Need work experience and can do the MOOCS from Edinburgh and Nottingham Unis as these countries as wex. Reading stories will not be useful.

Some school liveries are ok.
Wow. That would be fabulous for wannabe large-animal vets!

Libraries already offer this service, for everyone too. I’m sure there is plenty you can do to help them like prepping for entrance interviews etc that is better than old books easily available from libraries and also free on e reader from libraries or watch on channel 5 catch up

Volunteering at local animal sanctuaries is a good way in btw