We’re delighted to announce a new partnership with Literati, a subscription book club company, that will increase access to books and instill a love of reading for children in Austin, Texas. Literati is sponsoring five special-edition Little Free Library boxes full of books and donating gently-used books to existing LFL stewards in the Austin area.
“We are thrilled to partner with Literati to provide greater access to children’s books in Austin,” said LFL Program Director Shelby King. “The installation of five new libraries, as well as the support Literati is giving our network of existing volunteer stewards, is such a gift to kids in the Austin area. It’s a service that’s needed now more than ever with the continued closure of schools and public libraries. When it comes to reading to kids, we are strong believers of ‘start early, read often’ and with Literati’s help, we are able to provide more families in Austin with the resources to do so.”
Literati’s whimsical Little Free Libraries are easy for kids to spot. They’re painted in the book-subscription service’s signature teal, feature a black stenciled hot-air balloon, and have a teal window cling on the door reading “Literati Kids Edition: Find children’s books inside!” The little libraries will also appear on LFL’s world map.
Ten existing Little Free Libraries participating in the program will also display the teal “Literati Kids Edition” window cling, indicating there are children’s books inside donated by the Literati network.
“We’re thankful for our Literati club members who donated books to make this partnership possible,” said Vanessa Castañeda, Literati Partnerships Manager. “We’re mindfully donating books and Little Free Libraries to stewards, prioritizing applicants who live in historically marginalized zip codes. Our goal is to increase early childhood literacy through a fun offline experience that gives parents the chance to make reading an adventure. We started in Austin and look forward to partnering with stewards across the country.”
Each of the participating Austin stewards will receive quarterly packages of gently-used books from Literati, which are generously donated by the company’s subscribers. One of Literati’s Little Free Libraries has already been unveiled in a Central Austin low-income neighborhood, and the remaining libraries will be installed this autumn. Once the Austin pilot project is complete, LFL and Literati hope to expand the program nationwide.
Join the fun!
Want to get involved? To learn more about the program or apply to receive books for your Little Free Library, visit literati.com/kidslibrary. While Austin residents will get first priority during this pilot program, any U.S. Little Free Library steward is invited to apply.
