Friends of the Tuscaloosa Public Library Book Store hosted a book drive on Thursday to honor the memory of Lauren Beck, a Tuscaloosa native who died of leukemia in March.
Holly Beck, Lauren Beck’s mother, said she couldn’t think of a better way to honor her daughter, a book lover whose 24th birthday coincided with the event.
“She fought,” Holly Beck said, adding that books “helped her get through her fight against leukemia.”
The event garnered over 1,200 books and more than $500 in cash.
According to Michael Beck, Lauren Beck’s father, the idea for the drive came to his wife while they were eating at Baumhower’s about four weeks ago.
“Holly said Lauren’s birthday is coming up, and I want to do something to honor her. She said, ‘What do you think about a book?’ And I was just wow, I couldn’t think of anything better than that.”
Michael Beck said he was most impressed by how many people were willing to donate.
“A lot of what we received was from her friends, friends we didn’t even know about. They sent us things from all across the country. They even bought books and mailed us books through Amazon.”
Roots Woodruff, a volunteer with the library, said he was moved by the initiative.
“Lauren was a young woman who not only frequented the Friends of the Tuscaloosa Public Library Bookstore and the TPL itself, but who loved reading and delighted in sharing books far and wide. That makes this tribute all the more fitting — a lasting legacy that honors her memory in [a] meaningful way.”
