Book Bins
Getting books in the hands of readers of all ages and backgrounds.
What Are Book Bins?
A Book Bin is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common version is a small wooden box of books. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share. Book Bin exchanges have a unique, personal touch.
Fresno Bee Newspaper Box Transformation!
Every Neighborhood Partnership was given over 150 Fresno Bee Newspaper Boxes. We partnered with Reading Heart to help decorate, locate, and stock them across our city!
BEFORE
AFTER
Give Towards a Book Bin
Help fund the painting, placement, and restocking of these Book Bins. Your donation will help make that happen.
Give today!
Paint or Build a Book Bin
Are you an artist or a builder? Please contact Reading Heart to volunteer to build a library for our community.
Donate Books
Spring cleaning? Have any new or gently loved books laying around? We would LOVE to take them off your hands and pass them along to Reading Heart who is partnering with ENP on this initiative. If you would like to donate books or would like to organize a book drive, please contact Reading Heart or find a drop off location here.
Why & Where Are Book Bins?
One of the biggest challenges for low-income families with regard to literacy is the lack of access to books in the household.
61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. That includes children and adult books! What we know is that the only measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home. An analysis of a national dataset of nearly 100,000 United States school children found that access to printed materials—not poverty—is the “critical variable affecting reading acquisition.”
This is not just a home issue, but a neighborhood issue. One study found that in middle-income neighborhoods the ratio is 13 books per child; in low-income neighborhoods, that ratio is one book for every 300 children. [1]
Fresno Unified is made up of just over 74,000 kids. Over 18,000 of them are English learners, and 86% are living in poverty.[2] How do we make a difference in a city and a school system that has so much need? How do you go about changing the future of Fresno? Help a kid learn to read.
Book Bins play an essential role by providing 24/7 access to books (and encouraging a love of reading!) in areas where books are scarce.
Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) was started over 15 years ago. Inspired by The Well’s partnership with Susan B. Anthony Elementary, ENP had the goal of creating church-to-school partnerships for every elementary school in Fresno. Currently, we have 52 such partnerships. As we consider how the church of Fresno/Clovis can change a generation, we believe helping every kid learn to read is one of the best investments we can make.
Along with our Literacy Mentoring Program, Book Bins are one of the many ways we are working to do this!
How To Start Your Own Book Bin
Step one: Think about a location to set it up. What are your options? Are you setting it up at your home? Or another location? We have noticed high “foot traffic” areas are good, with proximity to a home or office so users can tell who cares for the box. If the box is behind a fence in the yard, people assume it’s a private piece of yard art and usually won’t open a gate to get a book. Boxes right on the sidewalk, along a normal foot traffic route get the most traffic. Boxes outside homes also build a space for relationship building and opportunity for hospitality. It may take a little while for your neighborhood to “see” the box and use it.
Designate a Host to Keep the Book Bin Running: Who will be the host of your book box? If you’re reading this, chances are good that it will be you. But, if not, be sure to designate one. A host makes sure that a Book Bin is always stocked, clean, and maintained. You will find, however, that a successful Book Box belongs to the community and that others, oftentimes anonymously, will restock and tidy up.
ENP has created a lot of local partners to make the process of acquiring a library easy.
Build: If you want to build your own: Please check out plans on the Book Bin or LFL plans. We have seen everything from renovated phone booths to a shelf of books inside coffee shops.
You can’t have a Book Bin without books, so before you launch, you’ll need to collect books to seed your library. Two good suggestions for collecting books are to hold a book drive, where friends and community members can donate their gently-used books, or hold a fundraiser, to purchase books from the local thrift store.
Note: don’t try to buy new books for your Book Bin. It will be far too expensive and is unsustainable. It also takes away from the community spirit. Remember, this is a project you want everyone to participate in.
Reading Heart is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) book donation program dedicated to serving children in hospitals and in areas with limited access to books. Contact them if you need help stocking your Book Bin.
If you need extra books, we recommend you reach out to local bookstores and thrift shops. Approach local bookstores to see if they would be willing to donate. Explain what your Book Bin is and ask if they would be willing to give you a discount or let you sort through their excess inventory. If you register your box with the International Little Free Library you get access to “First Book”–a nonprofit that sells brand new books at extremely low costs.
You could also organize a Book Swap. It doesn’t have to be a massive, citywide campaign. In fact, sometimes smaller events work better because they only require a relatively small group of organizers who invite friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Some communities hold book swaps every few months and have centralized places where Book Bin hosts can donate and take books any time. If you have any kids in the neighborhood, ask them if they could help you run a book swap at their school.
Managing a Book Bin is a marathon not a sprint. And for the first few months (maybe a year or longer) you may not see people sharing books beyond what you and your team share. That’s ok. Think of your Book Bin as a bucket of water in a desert….so many people are thirsty for words they will drink them right up. And that’s a good thing. Share with no expectations of seeing those books again!
Get your community involved! Contact the local paper, radio and TV stations. Send out a press release. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors in-person. Use social media to engage your community with the Book Bin. The more people who know about your Book Bin and support it, the better.
If you want to register your Book Bin to be on the Free Little Library you need to purchase a sign/license #. You can see the global map here. When you register, you gain access to a network of support and benefits, including an official charter sign engraved with a unique charter number.
Hold a Grand Opening Ceremony and invite your neighbors to kick off the Library in style! Have a ribbon cutting, provide snacks and exchange books. Take lots of photos and add your Library to the world map. Join the private stewards’ Facebook group to share tips and ideas with your fellow stewards!