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Serve kids in need? Learn about free First Book membership and eligibility
New to First Book?
Join us to connect with thousands of fellow educators and access exciting educational events and resources for you and your students.
Authored by First Book Staff on April 2, 2026
Posted in: Our Partners, Press Room
Announcement at the national Public Library Association conference celebrates the role of libraries big and small to create community.
Pictured (from left to right) Talia Miracle, Program Manager for Indigenous and Impact Library Programs; Kelly Griffin, First Book VP of Nonprofit Partnerships; LaTreena Fegely, Program Coordinator for Impact Library Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. PAUL, MN (April 2) – The national nonprofits First Book and Little Free Library today announced a new partnership to expand access to brand-new books for Little Free Library’s book-sharing boxes across the country. Through the new partnership, announced during the Public Library Association conference in Minneapolis, First Book is creating special book bundles developed for Little Free Library stewards serving under-resourced neighborhoods. Each book bundle, available through the award-winning online First Book Marketplace, will include 25 titles designed to appeal to a wide range of readers, based on readers’ ages, languages, interests, and more. The titles in each bundle will be auto selected through the First Book Marketplace; Little Free Library stewards will have the option to change the book selections, making the bundles fully customizable with curated, diverse titles that align with the needs and interests of their local community.
“This partnership between First Book and Little Free Library is the perfect match-up – the ultimate book club!” said Kelly Griffin, First Book’s Vice President of Nonprofit Partnerships.
“For the past 34 years, First Book has been dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for children in need – including increasing access to affordable, high-quality, new books that enable children to see themselves and learn about others. We are longtime fans of Little Free Library, and we are thrilled to support the local heroes dedicated to bringing the power of reading into their neighborhoods. This new bundling function is one way we can tailor our resources to meet the unique needs of our nonprofit partners. What’s so exciting is that this partnership means that more families can bring the joy of reading into their homes, with beautiful brand-new books to share with children, siblings, parents, caregivers, and friends.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with First Book to bring high-quality, brand-new books to Little Free Library stewards in our Impact Library, Indigenous Library, and Read in Color Library programs,” said Daniel Gumnit, CEO of Little Free Library.
Together, we’re getting books into the hands of kids and families who need them most – sparking a love of reading and strengthening community in places where books can be hard to find. This partnership helps sustain Little Free Libraries in book deserts and moves us closer to our vision of a book for every reader. By supporting both new and existing stewards, we’re ensuring their libraries remain full, vibrant, and welcoming spaces where everyone can discover a story that inspires them.
In addition to gaining access to First Book’s wide range of books, as members of First Book, stewards of eligible Little Free Libraries will also add their voice to inform First Book’s work and gain access to First Book’s educational resources and programming. First Book aggregates the voices and knowledge of adults serving low-income communities nationwide. Through its research arm, First Book Research & Insights, the nonprofit conducts as many as 20 surveys every year to identify the needs of teachers, community program leaders, volunteers, and the children they serve. First Book then responds with affordable, high-quality books, learning experiences, and a wide range of educational resources. Since its founding in 1992, First Book has distributed more than 250 million books and resources worth more than $2 billion. In a 2025 Impact survey, 97% of respondents indicated that First Book inspires a love of reading among the kids they serve; and 95% indicated that First Book enables them to foster a culture of reading in children’s homes.
Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. It works to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of its work are the 600,000+ members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children living in low-income communities across North America. This Network is the key to creating lasting change. Through its research arm, First Book Research & Insights, it conducts studies that aggregate the voices of the Network to identify challenges, needs, and solutions. To address their needs, it provides free and low-cost books, resources and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support their work. Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at firstbook.org and visit the award-winning eCommerce website at fbmarketplace.org.
About Little Free Library
Little Free Library® (LFL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds community, inspires readers and expands book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. There are more than 200,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, in 128 countries and on all 7 continents. LFL received the 2020 World Literacy Award as well as honors from the Library of Congress, National Book Foundation, and others. The organization grants Little Free Libraries full of books to underserved areas through its Impact Library and Indigenous Library programs and champions diverse books through its Read in Color initiative. LFL is a member of the Banned Books Week Coalition, Unite Against Book Bans, the Right to Read Working Group, and the Diverse Books for All Coalition. Learn more at LittleFreeLibrary.org.