Books and Haiti

It's been a week since the earthquake in Haiti, believe it or not. The country is now estimating a death toll of 100,000-200,000 people, over twice the original forecast by the Red Cross. According to an ABC article yesterday, the Haitian Prime Minister announced that over 70,000 people had been buried in mass graves. Slowly but surely, the search for survivors is being given up as we pass out of the window in which survival is even a possibility.

With over 1,000,000 homeless, and with little to no food, water or medicine available to those who have survived, the world has rushed to help. Governments, aid workers, charities, etc. Here's a quick round-up of the publishing industry's reactions, and what you can do to help:

• Booksellers R. J. Julia (the same store that runs the Just the Right Book! program) and Northshire Bookstore have donated profits from signups and renewals for store club memberships to Doctors Without Borders (from today's Shelf Awareness).

• Random House has donated $100,000 to the relief effort, and its parent company, Bertelsman, has donated 100,000 Euro. (from today's Shelf Awareness)

• Partners in Health has provided extensive medical support to the region. Founded by Dr. Palmer, who is the subject of Tracy Kidder's bestselling title Mountains Beyond Mountains.

• Books on the Nightstand gives recommendations for reading about Haiti.

Not sure how to help? Charity Navigator will help guide your donation to the right place for you, and can prevent your money from going to a scam, which, sadly, tend to pop up left and right during times of need like this. You can also donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "HAITI" to 90999. As a side note, this text campaign has been hands-down the most successful campaign of its kind, perhaps ushering in a new era of philanthropic giving. Read the full Washington Post article on the subject for more details.