Donate books to Tonga

We've received over a thousand books from our alumni! Now we need your help to sort and pack them.

Join us on 3 August to sort through donations received.

We're happy to receive books throughout July, which you can drop off at:

• Alumni Relations Office, 19a Princes Street, Auckland (it's the old synagogue on the corner of Princes Street)

Books4Tonga is a charity that has been set up to establish village libraries in Tonga to enhance the writing, reading and speaking of English.

The small libraries of 320 books each are run by a local person, either from their home or the community hall, opening mostly during after-school hours so that school children can use them. The target market is the local community, from pre-school age through to adults, to encourage everyone in the community to read. Books are a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for all ages.

Please only drop off during office hours. Books4Tonga depend upon people to supply their books in closeable (not open top) boxes which they then re-use for the shipping. 

Books4Tonga will need 8,000 books in total to reach their goal of 25 new community libraries, so have a clear out of your bookshelves today and get donating!

We would love your help to get books to Tonga! We are seeking new and ‘gently used’ second-hand books written in English, for readers from pre-school age to adults.

The categories that we collect for are:

1. Learning-to-read books
2. Picture books
   
3. Early chapter books
   
4. Teen novels
   
5. Novels
   
6. Non-fiction for all ages

Consider what you, and children you know, would like to read if you had a small village library.

We are seeking books that are in good condition, including children’s books without scribbles and stains.

All books will ideally be less than 15 years old, unless they are in very good condition, and are timeless classics, for example by Beatrix Potter or Dr Seuss, or favourite subjects like Hairy McClary.

Non-fiction books on subjects that are educational, e.g.: space, volcanoes, anatomy etc., are very popular but should be reasonably up-to-date.

We try to find books that will appeal to both genders.

What we don’t send to Tonga

• Textbooks
• Encyclopaedias
• Books that are less likely to be useful to the majority of library users, most of whom are primary and secondary aged readers. These include: cookbooks featuring unobtainable ingredients, craft books that feature unobtainable materials, car manuals and various self-help books
• Old paperbacks and some old hardbacks are avoided if they are dis-coloured or are musty
• Books that an adult wouldn't want children to read

Find out more

Visit the Books4Tonga website to find out more.