Tikkun Olam: Restoring Palisades School Libraries, One Book at a Time

[additional-authors]

Lisa Ellen Niver

February 7, 2025

The recent fires in Los Angeles have left many feeling overwhelmed, struggling to process the devastation and wondering if their efforts can truly make a difference. But in moments of crisis, individual action has the power to spark real change.

Zibby Owens, owner of Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica and a Palisades resident, knows this firsthand. After her own home was impacted by the Palisades fire, she quickly mobilized to help others. She organized a pop-up clothing drive, rallying over 50 brands to donate essentials for more than 800 families who lost their homes. Now, she’s taking her efforts even further—committing to rebuilding the school libraries for four Palisades schools destroyed in the fire, where many students are also facing the devastating loss of their homes.

To further support the community, Zibby’s Bookshop in partnership with Scholastic and LitWorld gave away 1,000 children’s books for World Read Aloud Day, ensuring that young readers affected by the fire can still find comfort and inspiration in stories.

Her story is a powerful reminder: even in the face of overwhelming loss, action matters. The question isn’t just can you make a difference—but how you will.

WATCH ZIBBY TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT: CLICK HERE

Let’s Rebuild School Libraries. Together.

Zibby’s Bookshop is launching a campaign to help Palisades schools that have been destroyed by the fire. Please help.

ease help.

Zibby Owens

Feb 04, 2025

Donate

Hi everyone,

As you may know, I’m the owner of Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, CA and a (part-time) Palisades resident who has been deeply affected by the fire. I’ve just finished organizing a pop-up clothing drive for 800+ families who lost their homes with items donated by 50+ brands.

Now, I’m committing to rebuild the school libraries for four Palisades schools which have been destroyed by the fire. Many of the students at these schools have also lost their homes.

Please consider what it would feel like if you were in this situation, if your school library (and school) had burned down. Think about what books you loved reading growing up. The librarians. The cozy nook where you fell into a book that changed your life. Or think about the power of school libraries for your kids. The books they’ve brought home and begged you to read. The chapter books they couldn’t put down. The times you volunteered to read to the class.

Now imagine losing all of it.

I know so many people want to help families who have been affected by the fires but just don’t know how. Here’s one specific way you can help.

Donate

Please contribute to the Zibby’s Bookshop campaign to rebuild the school libraries of

You can contribute at any level.

$0 – $20: Helper

$21 – $50: Great Helper

$51 – $100: Super Helper

$101 – $250: Awesome Helper

$251 – $500: Incredible Helper

$501 – $1,000: Amazing Helper

$1,001 – $10,000: Fantastic Helper

$10,001 – $100,000: SUPERSTAR Helper

$100,001 – $800,000: UNBELIEVABLE Helper

Every donation helps. In addition to donating yourself, please, please forward the drive to all your friends and family who might consider joining you in this effort. Give others the opportunity to make a tangible difference in someone’s life.

We will try to put personalized bookplates in all the donated books with your names (or whoever you’d like to honor, perhaps your kids!) or will find other specific ways to acknowledge your generosity.

Let’s get the schools their books again. It’s the least we can do.

Donate

(Note: please no used books or individual book donations at this point. The schools have specific catalogs that we will be replacing so while the thought is lovely, please don’t send or offer books you’ve written or have in your own library. Thank you!)