Our Work

Revolutionizing the Reach of the Public Library

Through our partnerships, we empower libraries to reach the communities that need them the most. Sustainably bridging service gaps requires more than just provisioning resources or building new library branches. Effective engagement changes the dynamic between anchor institutions and the communities they serve, creating buy-in and a sense of belonging – and allowing previously underserved people to become stakeholders.

LWB US builds custom strategies with libraries that meet a local need and leverage existing assets. Our collaboration with libraries includes needs assessment and asset mapping; deep canvassing and community engagement; project design and implementation; staff training; evaluation; and strategies to convert visitors to pop-up projects into consistent library patrons.

Examples of Our Work:

Building library outposts in highly frequented, community locations (e.g. laundromats).
Partnering with other local organizations to deliver programming and resources (e.g. employing a local meal delivery service to distribute literacy resources).
Removing language barriers for existing programs and services (e.g. offering programming in the native language of immigrant communities).
Bridging information gaps through personal connection campaigns (e.g. bringing information door-to-door about health screenings at the local library).
Destigmatizing the use of local services by introducing them in familiar spaces (e.g.directing barbershop clients to the tax clinic offered at the library).

How We Measure Impact:

Increased usage of library services by previously underserved communities.
Strengthened relationships between libraries and community organizations, institutions, and leaders from underserved communities.
Confidence and capacity of library staff to enhance outreach efforts that connect underserved communities with library resources.

Laundromats into Libraries

For years, Libraries Without Borders US has partnered with local libraries and small business owners to transform laundromats into connected places of learning and community. By engaging families at the laundromat, we make library services accessible for people with challenging work and childcare schedules who can’t visit their local public library during opening hours.

Since 2015, we have partnered with public libraries and community organizations to design and install laundromat libraries in eight states and the District of Columbia. We have turned the laundromat into a place where customers can connect to resources to help find a job, get legal assistance, or get a broadband connection at home.

In collaboration with communities and laundromats across the country, LWB US has created a toolkit for anyone to replicate the success of the laundromat library in their community. To view this toolkit, click here.

“I’m a mom with 3 kids and 2 jobs. I want to take a computer class at the library, but my work schedule is always changing and I can’t afford to miss a shift. This program lets me learn on my own time.”

— Laundromat Patron in Detroit

Laundry & Literacy Kit

Our “Laundry & Literacy Kit,” packed with educational materials, is designed to create playful, literacy-rich spaces for young children and families in the laundromat environment. In 2018, a two-phase pilot experimental study of New York laundromats equipped with the kit produced amazing results. New York University researchers found that those laundromats were a critical incubator of early literacy: children were 30 times more likely to engage in literacy activities than in other laundromats; parents were significantly more likely to engage in family learning and literacy activities; and everyone praised the connected, literacy spaces made available in local laundromats. Read the full Impact Report here.

We have created Wash and Learn Initiative sites in the following locations:

California
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
North Carolina
Texas

Loíza, Puerto Rico

Since 2018, LWB US has worked in the city of Loíza, a major center of Afro-Puerto Rican culture on the island. But the municipality faces many challenges, with a median household income of $17,000 annually and one of the highest violent crime rates on the island. It is geographically isolated, accessible only by low-lying bridges that easily flood. Loíza was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2018 and many public services damaged by the storm have not reopened. Further, nearly 30% of residents don’t have any type of home internet connection.

In 2019, LWB US hosted the design jam (“¡Empréndete Loíza!”), a series of workshops facilitated by experts from across the island focused on designing creative solutions for challenges facing the Loíza community. The winning team designed a project using photography to reduce violence in their community.
We worked with El Ancón de Loíza to organize workshops on sustainable agriculture, health literacy, entrepreneurship, culture and dance, design thinking, and marketing. Community leaders in the Sector 23 y las Gardenias neighborhood organized two summer camps focused on sports, environmental stewardship, healthy eating, and entrepreneurship.
We have hosted health literacy workshops to train local leaders to teach about preventative health.
In 2020, LWB US partnered with Link Puerto Rico (LinkPR) to install multiple T-Mobile hotspots with 14 gigabyte/month service in Sector La 23 y Las Gardenias in Loiza. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, we also distributed dozens of ConnectED kits containing laptops, WiFi hotspots, and curated educational resources for young people.
In October 2021, we transformed an abandoned public building into a vibrant community center with technology, culturally relevant books, and space for young people.