Last week, Hachette Book Group (HBG) and Little Free Library announced their largest-ever publishing collaboration: the installation of 200 library boxes in book deserts across the United States and Canada. The initiative commemorates HBG’s 200th anniversary, advances the company’s Raising Readers campaign, and coincided with the official 2026 Little Free Library Week.
“For Hachette’s 200th anniversary, we wanted to mark the occasion by helping more kids to discover the magic of reading and providing access to books for those in book desserts,” said David Shelley, Hachette Book Group and Hachette UK CEO. “We’re proud to be partnering with Little Free Library and assisting with the extraordinary work that they do.”
The first set of library boxes is expected to be installed in June with continued placements of 50 boxes per month through September. The library boxes will be distributed in locations determined by the Little Free Library’s Impact Library Program, which focuses on book deserts and areas where book access is scarce in the United States and Canada. This will allow HBG to circulate thousands of children’s books this year.
“Expanding book access and inspiring young readers are central to our nonprofit’s mission,” said Little Free Library CEO and Executive Director Daniel Gumnit. “When a child discovers a book in a Little Free Library, reading becomes more than just accessible—it becomes joyful. We’re grateful to partner with Hachette on this initiative to help even more kids experience the power of books.”
Raising Readers is Hachette’s global social impact initiative aimed at tackling the concerning decline in children’s reading for fun and entertainment. Studies show that reading for fun impacts a child’s future success more than their socio-economic status. HBG’s partnership with Little Free Library addresses that reading for fun gap by making books easily accessible to children in areas of critical need.
Learn more about Little Free Library’s programs, which place book-sharing boxes full of books where access is scarce, and donate today to help us provide libraries to communities like these.