Student Vice President Kristin Rose and the UMSL chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi national honor society collected more than 2,100 books from February through April, earning distinction as one of the top-three chapters in the Phi Kappa Phi Book Drive competition. (Photo courtesy of Shawntelle Fisher)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis chapter is one of three winners of the fifth annual Phi Kappa Phi Book Drive competition.

For the fourth year in a row, UMSL was one of three chapters from the national honor society to collect the most books during the competition. As part of its book drive, the UMSL chapter collected more than 2,100 books for Koch Elementary and Westview Middle School.

“We are grateful to the national Phi Kappa Phi Book Drive for having given our chapter a meaningful focus for community service,” said Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi, president of the UMSL chapter. “Our drive benefits children in a special tutoring program for families of ex-offenders, helping them share the Phi Kappa Phi ‘love of learning.’

“We could never have anticipated the overwhelming level of support shown by the members of our campus community, including current students, alumni, faculty and staff members, who reached out to their own networks of family and friends to collect a grand total of 2,159 books this year. Being named as a national winner for a fourth year in a row is truly an honor that we share with all of our generous donors.”

As a winning chapter, UMSL will have the option to receive a Little Free Library to place at a location of its choice or a waived registration fee to attend Phi Kappa Phi’s upcoming biennial convention in Minneapolis.

The book drive competition, which was held between Feb. 1 and April 30, saw participation from 21 Phi Kappa Phi chapters across the nation, with more than 11,800 donated books. Phi Kappa Phi created the event, which was established in 2014, as a way to promote literacy in the communities and campuses served by its chapters.

Phi Kappa Phi’s annual book drive competition has donated more than 45,000 books to organizations both locally and abroad since its creation. Organizations that have received donated books as part of the competition include schools, libraries, hospitals, correctional centers, shelters, and tutoring and mentoring programs.

To learn more about Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.