A flood of requests from schools revealed how badly many libraries needed support, prompting bestselling author James Patterson to increase a donation he had originally planned at $1.25 million. In March 2015, Patterson announced the pledge in partnership with Scholastic Reading Club to help US school libraries buy books and improve their resources. According to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the overwhelming response led him to raise the total to $1.75 million, with 467 school libraries eventually receiving grants. The funding could support books, reading programmes, technology and repairs, addressing practical needs that affect how children access reading and learning resources.
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