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In 2015, we set up our first pop-up library in a laundromat in the Bronx. Since then, we’ve created pop-up libraries in eight states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
We have learned that fundamental barriers stand between underserved communities and information access. Whether those barriers are lack of trust, lack of awareness, or just not feeling welcome, we’ve found that the solution is simple. Bring resources and information to places that people already know and trust.
We can’t operate thousands of pop-ups. But we can help others design and maintain sustainable solutions to inequitable access. That’s why we’re focused on collaborating with anchor institutions and community-based organizations. With our partner’s local knowledge and our national perspective and program design expertise, we create book-rich environments and bridge the digital divide in underserved communities across the country.
It’s foundational to an engaged community and a healthy democracy.
There may not be a library nearby. People may not know what the library offers. They may not feel welcome there.
We bring library resources to trusted, local places. We take the institution outside of its walls to connect marginalized communities with the information they need to learn, play, and thrive.