The heart of Little Free Library’s mission is to expand book access for everyone. We were thrilled to partner with the National Education Association (NEA) to gift 500 Little Free Library book-sharing boxes for educators to help provide greater book access in their communities. This was a great opportunity to support the people doing the important work of educating our country’s children.
As part of the partnership, we attended NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Orlando and assisted educators in attendance with building and decorating Little Free Libraries that were later filled with banned books and sent home with Florida delegates. We are grateful to the Little Free Library stewards, teachers, and public librarians working to make quality literature – including banned and challenged books – available to all readers.
“These Little Free Libraries serve as a powerful reminder that literacy and access to books are crucial for fostering strong, vibrant communities in Florida and beyond,” said Princess Moss, Vice President of NEA. “With the NEA’s support, we are dedicated to nurturing a love for reading, sparking curiosity, and empowering individuals to find themselves and others within the pages of books.”
Books that filled the Little Free Libraries included The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, and Roberto Clemente: The Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates by Jonah Winter.
In addition to the 300 libraries that went home with Florida educators, we gave away 200 more libraries to educators across the country. We anticipate that through these 500 libraries, more than 200,000 books will be shared through 250,000 visitors in just their first year of operation.
“We were honored to partner with the educators for this Little Free Library build event,” said Greig Metzger, Executive Director of Little Free Library. “We believe that all students should be able to access a personally relevant, inspiring book to read no matter where they live. We are excited these new additions to the Little Free Library network will be supporting that effort.”
Learn more about our stance on book bans, and share a favorite book in a Little Free Library in your community! You can find one near you by downloading our free mobile app.