We are excited to continue our cohort model for our Read in Color® program. Each fall, we open applications to organizations interested in participating in a Read in Color cohort. A selection committee of Little Free Library staff and stakeholders reviews applications and invites the strongest applicants to participate in a nine-month cohort experience. Let’s meet the selection committee for the 2026 Read in Color cohort!
Margret Aldrich – Little Free Library | Director of Communications
Margret Aldrich (she/her) is the Director of Communications and Media Relations at Little Free Library and was part of Read in Color’s initial launch in 2020. Margret formed the program’s first Diverse Books Advisory Group and continues to love and research books that represent every voice. A ten-year veteran of the publishing industry, Margret is the recipient of an Innovator Award from the Book Industry Study Group and is a former Princeton University writing fellow. She has published her work in The Atlantic, Utne Reader, Book Riot, and others; is the co-editor of Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces (Spout Press); and is the author of The Little Free Library Book (Coffee House Press).
Beck Gilbert – Beck’s Books
Beck Gilbert (they/she) co-owns Beck’s Books, a Minneapolis-based used bookstore with a focus on centering and celebrating marginalized voices. When not working on their bookstore, they serve as Program Manager at WomenVenture, a Twin Cities nonprofit that provides small business support services to underserved entrepreneurs. With a background in education, community engagement, and DEI, Beck is passionate about amplifying queer, BIPOC, disabled, and other voices that are historically underrepresented in publishing.
Marshall Krueger – Little Free Library | Steward Services Program Manager
Marshall Krueger (they/them) is the Steward Services Program Manager at the Little Free Library nonprofit organization. They manage the resources and support that the over 200,000 Little Free Library stewards need to start and sustain their book-sharing boxes. They also work to build and implement support for institutional and group stewards, such as public libraries, schools, rotary clubs, and more. When they’re not fighting book bans and analyzing assessment results, Marshall is a volunteer at the local LGBT library and spends their free time reading, cooking, and gardening.
Simone Liano – Global Shapers Philadelphia
Simone Liano (she/her) was part of the Spring 2025 Read in Color Cohort, where she represented the youth social impact volunteer group Global Shapers Philadelphia. Together with the other members of Global Shapers Philadelphia, Simone installed eight libraries across Philadelphia, including outside several community centers and local schools. Separate from volunteering with Shapers, Simone’s day job is at a philanthropic organization focused on the intersection between technology and social change.
Hannah Moore – Little Free Library | Board of Directors
Hannah Moore (she/her) is a life-long New Yorker, social worker, non-profit professional and Little Free Library Board Member. She believes deeply in the power of books to serve as mirrors, windows, and doors and was an early supporter of Read in Color as a mechanism to get diverse books into communities and the hands of readers.
Lexie Neeley – Little Free Library | Program Manager, Read in Color
Lexie Neeley (she/her) has been a member of the Little Free Library team since 2019. With several years of experience working closely with stewards (and being a steward herself) and program execution, Lexie is known to ask, “How can I help?”. She lives and works in St. Paul, MN, with her partner, Cory, and her dog, Petunia. She enjoys reading, cooking, and engaging with communities to foster meaningful connections.
Azanique Rawl – Little Free Library | Board of Directors
Azanique Rawl (she/her) of Charlotte, North Carolina leads Vanguard’s community and crew experience with a focus on creating new embedded engagement strategies for US crew members. She has cultivated internal and external relationships to build experience journeys, deepen nonprofit trust and strengthen Vanguard’s culture of caring through crew volunteering. Prior to Vanguard, Azanique led culture and events from Austin for Miro’s US, Japan and Australia markets. Azanique holds a dual-bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and a Master’s in Digital Communications Analytics. She currently serves on SHARE Charlotte Board of Directors.
Learn more about Read in Color and check out our Read in Color recommended reading lists.