By Tony Barber
Image by SBVC
As a returning student to SBVC, I am particularly aware of the great boon the Books + is to all of us students. I returned to SBVC in the spring of 2023 and immediately learned about the direct advantages of Books +.
The Books + program allowed our instructors to choose free books and additional tools and equipment to promote our educational success. Additionally, studio arts classes lab fees were suspended, these things saved us students money. Having personally attended SBVC and many other California colleges, I had never received any such assistance before, and it made the benefits of the Books + program all the more apparent and welcome to me.
I interviewed Jessica Esquivel, Manager of our SBVC bookstore and local Follett.
(Follett is a retailer that runs many college bookstores in the USA and Canada and our own SBVC bookstore too.) According to Ms Esquivel, the Books + program was established with funds made available to SBCCD through COVID-19 relief funds stemming from H.E.E.R.F. (Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds) made available to SBCCD. SBCCD chose to utilize these funds inclusively to promote equitable accessibility and potentially benefit each and every student attending SBVC and Crafton Hills via Books +. The program was initiated by then-interim Chancellor Jose Torres (now Executive Vice Chancellor).
The Books + program began assisting students upon its implementation in the fall of 2021 and has been helping us students ever since.
Unfortunately, it was only scheduled to run through June 30, 2024 and is scheduled to end very soon.
We students would love to see and benefit from an extension or resurrection of the Books + program. Indeed many students showed up to the March SBCCD board meeting held on our own SBVC campus in B100 at 4:00 p.m. on March 14. Approximately 40 or so students showed up in protest. Culminating in about a dozen SBVC students speaking to the board members to continue the Books + program. Most of the students present stood in the back of the room holding signs reading:
“#Remove The Board in 2024”.
An additional voice kept repeating in quiet intervals between speakers…
“Free the Books !”
While it is my understanding that Jose Torres/Executive Vice Chancellor initiated the implementation of the Books + program, Diana Rodriguez/Chancellor of SBCCD would likely have influence over any possibilities of extensions or resurrections of a Books + or similar aid package. Our hope likely lies with the SBCCD Board.
I emailed both of them only to still be awaiting any response…
If you recognize that you have benefitted from the Books + program and want it to continue or be revived, make your voices heard!
We can only hope that our wishes, actions and words don't fall on deaf ears!