Read it forward: Windermere student launches book bank

As floodwaters infringed on a local library, one little girl lost her favorite copy of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Within days, the Orlando Book Bank found another copy among its donations and gave it to her.

For 17-year-old Aanvi Mathur, the founder of the Orlando Book Bank, moments like these are why she dedicated her high school years to igniting a passion for knowledge in Central Florida and providing students with school supplies.

The idea for the book bank was formed in 2023, when then 14-year-old Mathur and her 16-year-old sister noticed students in their respective classes lacked the same drive to succeed as they did. 

They began to realize that many students who didn’t put in the required effort in their studies often came from homes that imposed additional responsibilities, such as large families with working parents, sibling care and transportation issues. It also became apparent to Mathur that some of her peers didn’t have access to textbooks and required reading material to help them thrive.

“We started Orlando Book Bank to bridge that access gap from students who are able to get the resources they need and students who don’t prioritize education and can’t get the resources we need,” Mathur said. 

The Orlando Book Bank was officially up and running in the same year. Mathur and her team started with collecting textbooks, hygiene items and general school supplies. Their services continue to expand to include SAT preparation and mentorship programs in school subjects and extracurriculars.

The organization has started chapters across Orlando and now offers new services such as mentorship. Mathur also has begun to incorporate hygiene product donations into the book bank’s services. 

“I know hygiene is a big problem in lower-income areas in our district,” Mathur said. “There’s a lack of hygiene products, and many students are less likely to go to school because they don’t feel ready to do so.”

The Orlando Book Bank’s website makes both donating and requesting simple. Visitors can submit an online form, email or call to request a specific book title or arrange a donation. Donors only need to provide a photo of their books, and the nonprofit coordinates a convenient pickup location. The book bank aims to fulfill book and item requests within a week.

Mathur is a senior at Orlando Science High School. She is able to explore her passions for research and education by engaging in early disease detection research, leading the education and youth development committee and organizing community events.

Mathur says her main goal is to give people access to resources they deserve. The motivation to promote education stems from her parents’ dedication to fostering her curiosity. 

“I was always surrounded by people who taught me that curiosity was the most important thing in life,” Mathur said. “They told me to always be looking in your surroundings and ask questions.”

As she got older and more involved in the community, Mathur noticed her peers were not introduced to the same values on education.

“I was in this bubble where everyone thought education was important,” Mathur said. “When I saw that other students might not have that same rhetoric in their houses or in their community, I realized how much it has impacted my growth and how much that same thing could impact other students’ growth as well.”

Mathur found inspiration to start the book bank while analyzing her circle at school. Her friends serve on the book bank’s board and help with donation pickup and drop-off. Mathur emphasized how her family and surrounding Orlando community have helped the bank thrive. 

Mathur’s hope is that as the book bank expands, she can promote curiosity in communities across Florida, regardless of their financial situation.