When Carlie Cryer, a second-year medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Lexington Campus, discovered the International Book Project (IBP), she was searching for a meaningful way to give back to the community.
“As a student, I know how easy it is to take something as simple as literacy for granted,” she said. “IBP stood out to me as a unique organization promoting a need that often goes unnoticed.”
IBP, founded in 1966, collects, sorts and ships donated books in response to requests from partners around the globe and throughout the U.S. To date, the organization has shipped nearly 8 million books to 168 countries worldwide, promoting literacy and education for all.
“After just one shift, I was in awe of the passion of their community,” said Cryer. “It was contagious, and I knew I wanted to return to be a part of it.”
During her very first volunteer shift, Cryer learned about IBP’s urgent need for medical book donations. The organization is currently preparing a container shipment for the University of Banja Luka Medical School in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where existing texts are decades out of date.
“After collecting a few donations from fellow students, I realized that relying on occasional contributions would not allow IBP to progress toward its goal,” she said. “As a medical student, I recognized I could reach a much wider network than IBP could on its own.”
That realization sparked action. Cryer has organized a textbook collection on campus, with a donation bin on the bottom floor of the Medical Center Library (to the left of the main desk).
Books can also be delivered directly to IBP headquarters at 1440 Delaware Avenue, Lexington, Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The collection will remain open through spring 2026.
“They need thousands of books to complete this shipment,” Cryer said. “Any donation, big or small, is greatly appreciated.”
Through this effort, she hopes not only to promote global literacy but also to inspire her peers to see the power of education and community in action.
How You Can Help:
- Donate current medical textbooks (published after 2000) to the bin in the medical center library, or
- Deliver them in person to IBP at 1440 Delaware Ave, Lexington, KY. 40505, during business hours.
- Share news of the book drive widely — thousands of books are needed to complete this shipment.
For any questions about the collection bin, feel free to reach out to Cryer at carlie.cryer@uky.edu. For broader inquiries about IBP or the global mission behind this textbook drive, contact Stacie Musser, director of operations at IBP, at stacie@intlbookproject.org.
