Open Books

Open Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on child and family literacy in Chicago. Open Books launched in 2006 with a simple idea – to collect used books and sell them to support youth literacy in Chicago. Since then, Open Books’ programs have boosted the skills and confidence of thousands of Chicago kids, from birth to 12th grade, as readers and writers. From among the book donations Open Books collects – nearly 2 million books annually – staff and volunteers work with parents, teachers, schools, and other community-based organizations to grant books to youth that lack access. To date, across Chicago, Open Books has impacted nearly 45,000 children and youth through its literacy programs and granted over 1 million carefully-curated books across the city. Our bookstores are community hubs that not only support local neighborhoods but also give all Chicagoans access to affordable books.