I was recently talking to a father as his kids were exploring Books and More and choosing resources to take home. This was the first occasion we had to meet and chat. He shared what a blessing Books and More had been to his kids and family. He then continued the conversation to share what Books and More meant to him personally. He explained that for the first time he was able to take home books and read to his younger children before bed.

Never before had he had access to so many children’s books. He had begun a tradition of reading with and to his children each night. You could feel his excitement and appreciation throughout the conversation. Often dads don’t have these opportunities and many times they are not as hands on with bedtime and other events like this around their homes. He was so thankful and transparent about what this opportunity meant to him, his kids and his family.

There is urgency in the air at Books and More. For months a looming deadline has been circled on calendars. That deadline is when the final payment for our building is due. We know how crucial a permanent location is for Books and More and we know the opportunities that wait for Jordan once this building is finally owned. So many new programs and opportunities await. Opportunities like regular English tutoring, after school programs, new opportunities for university students and young adults, satellite sites around the city and more. Many have asked if these can be done without a permanent locations for Books and More. The answer is-we don’t know.

We have already had to move once in the last 2 years and if we have to close to move again, it’s hard to gain momentum. Property is continuing to increase is cost. To rent a similar structure would be between 3 and 4 times the cost of what we are using now and there still would be the possibility of having to move again. We never want to see Books and More leave Amman, but the future is very uncertain without a place to call our own.