It all started with a sign that said "Hobbits here."
A partnership between the Friends of the Pima County Public Library and students from Flowing Wells High School grew from an urgent need for more than 100 copies of "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Since then, the Friends have donated more than 1,000 books on the school's required-reading list in exchange for some volunteer labor from students.
A few years ago, English teacher Jeff Mann talked to Friends board president Desha Hill about not having enough Hobbit books for his class about fantasy and science fiction literature.
Hill, who read "The Hobbit" when she was 12, set up a box with a sign and got Friends volunteers to set aside Hobbits they came across while they sorted donated books.
They ended up collecting around 125 copies.
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To repay the kindness, students started volunteering at Friends book sales.
The 17 students formed an official club: the Flowing Wells High School Friends of the Library Club.
"When I have my free time I can go volunteer and hang out with my friends while I volunteer," said Mai Ho, a senior who has been in the club for about two years.
"I like being around the ladies at the book sale," she said. "They talk to you and give you advice if you ask them."
The partnership grew this summer when Mann showed Hill the school's list of required-reading books. So volunteers started setting aside more than just Hobbit books, from "Crime and Punishment" to "Catch-22" to "The Crucible."
Megan Waddell, a senior who has been in the club for four years, picked up three or four giant boxes of books recently, including copies of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Of Mice and Men."
"If we have enough books for all the students, then everyone has the opportunity to succeed," she said.
Hill said it's terrible that the school can't afford to buy plenty of books "and anything we can do to help that is a win."
"It's unbelievable," Mann said. "We have an abundance of books."
Lawrence Sun, a junior who has been in the club for about two months and is currently reading "The Hobbit," said he likes volunteering with the Friends.
"I think we help them and we can exchange something - just helping each other," he said.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 573-4346. On Twitter @BeckyPallack.
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