How to Redistribute Books to Communities in Need
This recipe was inspired by Amina Marix Evans from Borderline Books!
Books can open doors, spark hope, and build confidence when people are able to access them. By redistributing books for free, you can help bridge the gap between those who have books to share and those who need them.
Why this recipe matters
Borderline Books provides free books to those who need them most, especially individuals in tough situations who might be overlooked by traditional systems. Inspired by this mission, you can help redistribute books for free and literally put stories into people’s hands, improving reading levels, mental wellbeing, and community connection.
Ingredients
- A space (big or small!): A garage, spare room, community center, or storage unit—anywhere safe and dry to sort and store donated books.
- Donated books: Talk to local publishers, bookshops, schools, libraries, and individuals. Many have books they no longer need and are happy to give them a new home.
- Borderline Books starter kit: If you're located in the UK, you may be eligible to receive a start-up box of books and basic supplies from Borderline Books. (Postage limits apply.) Reach out to their team at http://borderlinebooks.org/Contact/ for more information.
Recipe
1. Find a space to store and sort books as you gather donations and make deliveries.
- This could be your home, a school, church hall, or wherever you have space and community support. Make sure there’s ample space for books to be stored off of the floor so they won’t get damaged.
2. Start sourcing books for donations.
- Contact local book publishers, bookshops, schools, libraries, and individuals to see if they have overstock or returns they can donate. Books should be in good condition so that they can be enjoyed. Don’t accept books that are damaged or incomplete.
- Be polite, persistent, and explain your mission. You'll be surprised how generous people can be!
3. Organize the books.
- Sort book donations by age group, genre, and language to make it easier to deliver to different groups and communities.
- If you have the time and space, we encourage you to have fun with organizing! Label shelves, make little signs, or write uplifting notes to include inside the books.
4. Contact organizations in your community.
- Contact local organizations supporting refugees and migrants, people who are experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence and their children, victims of trafficking, people who are incarcerated, and others with limited or no access to books to tell them free books are available.
- Invite them to select which books their community needs and pick up an assortment at their earliest convenience. You might also volunteer to make a delivery or ask neighbors for help transporting books to their new home.
5. Deliver the books.
- Find a reasonable time to deliver the selection of books to local organizations, leaning on people in your community for support with transportation, delivery, and lifting. Books can be heavy!
- Consider offering a pick-up time for organizations to come to you, or creating a little free library to put more books into communities.
- You can also partner with local events organizers to set up a free book table at community gatherings.
6. Spread the word online.
- Post updates online, share photos, and talk about your work. You never know who might want to volunteer with you, donate books, or request books for their community.
Finishing Touch
Let Borderline Books know that you’ve been inspired by their recipe and start a local chapter of your own! You are encouraged to use their logo as long as you never charge for books that are donated. Follow them on social media at @borderlinebooksdotorg and Borderline Books.