24,801 books were given away across 16 different activity categories such as: • Events • Literacy • Conferences • Programs • Meetings • Schools • And other organizations The time period of distribution was 2019 during January to June of 2019.

1. .
RESPECTFULLY PREPARED
BY MANISHA KHETARPAL &
JERILEE BUFFALO
Maskwacis Cultural
College
2 Saddleback Rd. N
Maskwacis, AB
T0C 1N0
Phone (780) 585-3925
Fax (780) 585-2080
www.mccedu.ca
We appreciate our donors: Save the
Children Canada, Scholastic,
Penguin Press, Orca Publishers,
ATCO, University of Alberta book
store, Destiny Funeral Homes, and
Meyokumin school, Writers Guild of
Alberta, Book Publishers
Association, Uncle Jimmy, Rotary
Club, Write to Read, Edmonton
Public Library, Library & Archives
Canada, Parkland Regional Library,
Yellowhead Regional Library, and so
many other donors, volunteers, and
people who conducted book drives
for indigenous communities.
Thank you to Dr. Claudine Louis and
all the staff of Maskwacis Cultural
College for supporting the book
giveaway initiative.
Maswkacis Cultural
College
Book
Giveaway
2019
Date of publication
INSTRUCTION
& COURSES
INTRODUCTION AND
CONTEXT
Maskwacis Cultural College started the
initiative of giving away books to
indigenous communities in 2009. The
initiative was started when the regular
routine of weeding out donated books
from the college library. Maskwacis
Cultural College (MCC) offers training
programs for Education Assistants,
Early Childhood Development and the
summer Cree Language Instructor
Training program, Adult literacy and
these programs have requested for
children’s collection. MCC is a learning
partner for families and is community
focused. A major book drive was
conducted by CBC in 2013 and hence
the awareness about book giveaway
was increased and hence the demand
for books was increased.
Maskwacis Cultural College gave
away 24,801 to donate and give away
free books to many communities
from January 2019 to July 2019.
Books in indigenous communities
resulted in offering programs such as
the Reading Program during the
summer, Ayamitah reading circles,
family book clubs, Library in a Box
service, and community barbeques.

2. OCCASIONS ARE INVITATIONS
FOR BOOK GIVEAWAYS
24,801 books were given away
across 16 differentactivity
categories such as:
 Events
 Literacy
 Conferences
 Programs
 Meetings
 Schools
 And other organizations
 See chart above
 See chart on right
EXPANSION OF THE
GEOGRAPHIC REACH
Although the main focus was the four
nations in Maskwacis, the distribution
of books naturally flowed across other
areas because of powwows, Treaty 6
events, and natural flow of indigenous
peoples. The geographic reach as
indicated by people filling the book
giveaway forms in 2019 was Samson,
Louis Bull, Montana, Ermineskin,
Wetaskiwin, River Cree (Edmonton),
Battle River, Calgary, St. Albert, Red
Deer, Ponoka, Saddle Lake, Loon
River, and Thunderchild.
24,801 books given away from January to July
2019
Categories
Sum of Number of
books
Total 24801
Events 9000
Literacy 4457
Conference 2000
Reading program 1500
Teacher Training 1114
Library in a Box
service 1000
Regional meeting 1000
Autistic group 909
Families 856
Literacy program 750
Headstart 640
School 625
Daycare 500
Feast 500
Summer literacy camp 500
Women’s Shelter 200