

In the U.S., 30 million people over age 16 — 14 percent of the country’s adult population — don’t read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level or fill out a job application.

More than 60 percent of all state and federal corrections inmates can barely read and write.

Low literacy’s effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.

8th Annual Book Drive Kicks Off to Benefit Local Kids

The 2011 Bank of Oklahoma Literacy Campaign and Book Drive kicks off June 1 and runs throughout the month. Oklahomans are encouraged to bring a new or gently used book to any Bank of Oklahoma location and in turn, Bank of Oklahoma and its partner, Volunteers of America, will get those books into the hands of kids who need them most.

Have collected more than 200,000 books over the years. 

Book donations are being collected through June 30 at all Bank of Oklahoma locations in the state. Books for children six months to 12 years are preferred. Visit www.bankofoklahoma.com for the list of branch locations.

Bank of Oklahoma is a division of BOK Financial, a regional financial services company that provides commercial and consumer banking, investment and trust services, mortgage origination and servicing, and an electronic funds transfer network. Holdings include BOKF, NA, BOSC, Inc., Cavanal Hill Investment Management, Inc., and Southwest Trust Company, NA. Operating divisions of BOKF, NA include Bank of Albuquerque, Bank of Arizona, Bank of Arkansas, Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of Texas, Colorado State Bank and Trust, Bank of Kansas City, and the TransFund electronic funds network. Shares of BOK Financial are traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol BOKF. For more information, visit www.bokf.com.