Little Free Library’s Impact Library Program Celebrates 10 Years of Expanding Book Access
By Sarah Nelson
The Little Free Library nonprofit is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its core philanthropic initiative: the Impact Library Program, which gives no-cost Little Free Libraries filled with books to communities where books are scarce. Since launching in 2016, the program has granted more than 3,500 Little Free Libraries and 87,500 books to underserved neighborhoods across the United States and Canada, thanks to the support of individual donors and corporate sponsors.
For many communities, these libraries provide one of the few reliable sources of free books.
“Seeing the Impact Library Program grow over the last ten years has been incredibly meaningful,” said Shelby King, Senior Director of Impact and Culture at LFL, who has been with the organization for more than a decade. “The Little Free Libraries and diverse books we grant are reaching communities that deserve greater access to reading material. In fact, 95% of Impact Library recipients report that they are providing access to books to people who have little-to-no access anywhere else.”
The Impact Library Program operates via an application-based grant process. Individuals, schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada can apply to receive a no-cost Little Free Library package. Applications collect information about community need, and priority is given to locations in book deserts—areas where access to books is limited or nonexistent.
If selected, recipients receive a Little Free Library book-sharing box, installation materials, a starter collection of culturally responsive books, and a charter sign. The charter number allows the library to be registered on LFL’s global map and mobile app and connects stewards with ongoing support from the organization’s Steward Services team.
Stories from Impact Library Recipients
Our Little Free Libraries have grown into an important resource in the communities we serve,” said Mason Furman of the Furman Literacy Project in Miami, FL. “Across the 19 libraries we maintain, we restock more than 3,000 books each month and serve approximately 2,000 community members. Many of the neighborhoods where the libraries are located have limited access to bookstores or public libraries, so these free book exchanges help remove barriers to reading. Beyond providing books, the libraries have helped create a culture of sharing.”
Being a steward feels like tending a small wooden garden of stories,” said Sima Hill of Decatur, GA. “My most rewarding moments are when this father and daughter visit the library on the way from school. The child’s face lights up upon discovering what’s new. I see literacy the way I see seeds: full of possibility, waiting for the right light. The Impact Library Program felt like sunlight. It felt like an invitation to nurture not just a box of books, but a culture of belonging. I applied because I believe in growth and accessible stories that open the world to children and adults. I applied because when we place books in the library, we are quietly saying, ‘You matter, your curiosity matters and your story matters.’”
Need Remains Great
Over the past decade, the program has become one of the LFL nonprofit’s most powerful tools for increasing book access and building stronger, more connected communities.
Yet demand for the program continues to grow. Today, more than 1,000 applicants remain on the waiting list, hoping to receive a Little Free Library for their community.
Each Impact Library depends on donor support to fund the structure, installation materials, and starter books.
“With additional support, we can place even more Little Free Libraries where they’re needed most,” King said. “Every donation helps put books directly into the hands of kids and families who might not otherwise have access to them.”
