Doctoral students within the College of Education are collecting books for residents affected by last week’s tornado.

Dr. Lisa Scherff, associate professors of English education as well as the director of The Belser-Parton Literacy Center, said the idea for Books for Bama came to her after she attempted to donate supplies to the University Rec Center immediately following the tornado.

“The Rec Center said they had all the supplies they needed, so I dropped off a stack of magazines,” Scherff said. The positive reception the magazines received at the Rec Center inspired Scherff to begin collecting books and magazines to donate to Tuscaloosa residents.

Scherff mentioned the idea to her doctoral students, and before she knew it a Facebook cause page had been created. From there, the cause went national after professors at various universities across the nation got wind of the effort. Scherff believes between 50-100,000 people were made aware of Books for Bama through these professors.

The goal of Books for Bama “is to restock all impacted students’ and families’ personal libraries,” according to its Facebook page.

“Libraries will get rebuilt, but not personal libraries,” Scherff said.

Scherff felt books often get overlooked in today’s environment of ever-present media, but when they all disappear, it can be devastating.

“People may have lost the only Bible they ever owned,” Scherff said. “Friday, I didn’t have power, but I had a lantern and a book.”

Scherff said one of her colleagues put it best: “Books are a way to escape.”

Since the creation of Books for Bama, Scherff said they have received donations from all over the country. Berea College in Berea, Ky., sent an Amazon gift card worth $100, with other donations coming in from as far as New Mexico. To date, Books for Bama has raised $2,000 worth of books.

While Books for Bama is raising books and school supplies for the Tuscaloosa area, Scherff said she has students and former students in places like Blount, Birmingham and Pleasant Grove who are undertaking similar efforts.

For those who would like to donate, Books for Bama has a Facebook Cause page as well as an Amazon Wish List. Current needs include school supplies, backpacks, paper towels and hand sanitizer as well as books ranging from children and young adult novels to alphabet books and Bibles.