Thousands of free books distributed to Lima-area students at Ohio Education Association’s Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers

[Lima, OH – May 22, 2025] Lima-area students are starting their summer breaks with new books featuring diverse characters written by diverse authors to enjoy while they are out of school. Families from across the area came together on the Lima Town Square on Thursday – immediately following Lima City Schools’ last day for students – for the Ohio Education Association’s third annual Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers.

The Ohio Education Association, Lima Education Association, City of Lima, and many other community partners joined forces for this huge book giveaway, which was held as part of the Read Across America year-round Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers initiative. OEA was also pleased to donate diverse books to the Lima City Schools book vending machine program.

“When our children can read stories about people of all races, backgrounds, genders, and abilities, they can begin a journey of self-discovery and see the world in new ways,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “The Ohio Education Association is incredibly grateful for all of our partners who made this year’s event so successful and who share in our mission to spark a lifelong love of learning and reading in the students we serve.”

In addition to allowing families to pick out age-appropriate diverse books with their children, the Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers also featured free food, free family activities, and entertainment, including a Reader’s Corner, where local authors and community leaders shared diverse books out loud.  Families were also able to learn about valuable community resources thanks to the participation of numerous other organizations, including the Lima Fire Department, Lima Police Department, Lima Public Library, Bradfield Community Center, Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, and many others.

“As educators, nothing is more rewarding than seeing our students learn, grow, and thrive. This year’s Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers empowered our students to continue growing their minds over this school break and come back to us ready to learn in the fall,” said Lima Education Association President Paulette Boes. “To all of our partners who made this big community event possible for our students and their families, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Photos from Thursday’s event are available for use in media coverage on OEA’s Facebook page. More information is available at www.ohea.org/diversereaders