You see them strolling around Isla Vista, and you probably don’t know their names, but now you have a chance to help the residents of Friendship Manor feel more closely connected to the community.

The Associated Students Community Affairs Board is asking UCSB students to drop off their books at the CAB office in room 2523 of the UCen, above the MultiCultural Center. CAB will then pass the books on to Friendship Manor residents.

Pam Van Dyke, the CAB associate student adviser, said although the drive will last through Dec. 6, students can begin bringing in their old books immediately.

“We can take the books now,” Van Dyke said. “We think a lot of students just have a lot of books sitting on their shelves at home, and they’re probably not planning to read them again. We’re asking students to go home, clean off the shelf and bring the books in.”

Van Dyke said the drive – which was organized by senior political science major Kim Slater – was timed so that students could go home for Thanksgiving and look for books they were storing there. However, she also said she encourages participants not to shy away from bringing in newer books, as reading current bestsellers would remind Friendship Manor residents they are entitled to all the same amenities as the rest of Isla Vista.

“Those are the kind of quality books they would love to have. They can’t get them at the library now,” she said.

Van Dyke said small improvements like this one would improve the residents’ overall quality of life. Newly published books could spark new interest in the library among the residents, Van Dyke said.

“We’re trying to make life more comfortable for them,” she said. “They should be able to read books like everybody else.”

For every three books a student donates, he or she will be entered in a drawing for a yet-to-be-determined prize, Van Dyke also said.

Friendship Manor is a senior care facility located at 6647 El Colegio Rd. It houses 205 residents. For more information about the book drive, call the CAB office at 893-4296.