DALLAS (March 9, 2009)— Half Price Books, the nation's largest new and used bookstore chain, has launched the 11th annual Half Pint Library Book Drive, which benefits patients at Parkland Health and Hospital's Community Oriented Primary Care Centers (COPC). The book drive, which lasts until March 31, provides books to many of the patients at the COPC sites, helping to lift spirits and literacy skills both during, and after, their visit.

The entire Dallas community is encouraged to drop off new and gently used children's books at any of the 11 area Half Price Books stores during the six-week drive.

"The books that go home with children as a result of the Half Pint Library, help prepare them for school and beyond," said Tanya Mahoney, Reach Out and Read Coordinator at Parkland. "Because of our longstanding relationship with Half Price Books, our children know to ask for a book before they go home."

Each year, the program relies on the donations of community members for books, as patients are encouraged to take the books home after their medical visit. The Half Pint Libraries provide an escape from the challenges faced by pediatric patients, while helping to boost literacy skills while children are out of school. Additionally, the books at each facility are placed in bright red carts donated by Half Price Books so that they can be brought to children who may have limited mobility. In many cases, children and their siblings are getting to take home their first book through the Half Pint Library program. Often times, books are used for speech therapy and as a distraction method by medical staff during medical procedures. All types of children's books, including Spanish-language books, are needed.

"The bonus is that the Half Pint Library not only benefits the patients, but has become a way for children to learn philanthropic lessons as well," said Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books. "As children outgrow their books, they are able to pass them along to Parkland Health and Hospital through the drive and learn the importance of helping others."

"Our goal is to make sure each child can take home several books by surpassing last year's book donations in Dallas of more than 11,000," Thomas said. Since launching the Half Pint Library program in Dallas in 1999, more than 200,000 books have been donated to local pediatric patients. There are Half Pint Libraries in major cities across the nation, and more than 2 million books have been collected since the program's inception in 1998. Please visit www.halfpricebooks.com for more information or to find the nearest location to drop off books.

To find the nearest Half Price Books store, please visit www.halfpricebooks.com.

Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain with more than 100 retail locations in 15 states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy efforts for 36 years and supports hundreds of local, national and international programs. Each year the company sponsors the Half Pint Library Book Drive at each of its stores, donating thousands of books to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, a continuing supporter of the National Center for Family Literacy, and the founder of the environmental website BecomeGreen.org. For more information about Half Price Books, its store locations and corporate initiatives, please visit www.halfpricebooks.com.