3 Ways We Can Help Our Communities Build Home Libraries

Heather Lynn
4 days ago
2 min read

Healthy Kids. Strong Families.

Supporting connection at home is part of how we build thriving communities.

In this series, we share practical tools to help families nurture confidence, communication, and resilience — one everyday moment at a time.

Last week we wrote about how literacy unlocks a child’s ability to learn and grow. Developing brains need early and continued exposure to books and reading material.

One way to combat “summer slide” is by getting books into the hands of kids who live in “book deserts.” When we help families create home libraries, we’re putting learning into students’ hands every day of the year.

"61% of U.S. children living at or below the poverty line have no books at home, which is a primary driver of the "summer slide" where students lose significant reading skills during school breaks."

Source: Little Free Library

3 Ways to Grow Home Libraries

1. Take Advantage of National Initiatives like First Book

Partnering with national organizations is one of the easiest ways you can give back. First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to provide children from low-income families with access to high-quality books.

Educators, program leaders, and community volunteers can join the First Book Network to receive new books and learning materials at a substantial discount. Help ensure children have the tools they need to succeed in school and life by filling their home libraries.

2. Set Up or Stock a Little Free Library

Little Free Libraries help kids build home libraries and fight summer slide! That’s why First Book is partnering with Little Free Library to keep neighborhood book exchanges stocked with high-quality reading materials.

If you steward a Little Free Library that serves a low-income community, you can now purchase curated, customizable book bundles filled with new books from the First Book Marketplace. Many successful Little Free Libraries are set up at neighborhood routine destinations, like:

• Outside of school entrances

• Bus stops

• In front of coffee shops or community centers

• Playgrounds

3. Get Involved in the Collective Effort

Creating lifelong learners starts with you. From parents reading with their kids at bedtime, to schools ensuring students have equitable access to books, communities can help kids build home libraries and keep learning all year long. It can be as simple as donating your unwanted books to a Little Free Library or neighborhood school.

When you support “whole-child” development by helping kids build their home libraries, you’re helping ensure every family has the tools they need to give their children the chance to succeed.

Get Involved in the Collective Effort