Access to books is fundamental to keeping learning alive for every child. Books are essential for maintaining and improving reading skills, finding comfort in a bedtime story, fueling imaginations, and providing opportunities for adventures. Book Harvest is committed to ensuring every child has access to books -- before, during, and after the pandemic.
Get Books For:
For Families
Book Harvest
Outside Book Harvest (2501 University Drive, Durham) there are two bookshelves filled with books for children ages 0-18 and activity workbooks. There are both Spanish and English options available. The shelves are accessible 24/7 and restocked regularly.
Book Boxes
Located in outdoor spaces throughout the community, Book Harvest's Book
Boxes are filled with dozens of new and gently used, culturally inclusive children’s books. The boxes are regularly stocked with books from Book Harvest, ensuring that children and families have reliable, steady access to high-quality books to harvest and keep. Current locations include Kiddie Kollege, White Rock Child Development Center, and El Futuro (see map below). More boxes will be installed throughout 2021.
Around the Community
Book Harvest has bookshelves located throughout the community in partnership with businesses and organizations. Not all of them are accessible to the public. View all Book Harvest bookshelf locations using the map below - click each category for a list of options. For detailed information on our Laundromat locations and initiative, go here.
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Loading...Book Babies
Book Babies partners with families of Medicaid eligible children to develop their child’s early language and literacy skills. An evidence-informed literacy coaching partnership, Book Babies begins when a baby is born and is sustained over five years. Book Babies builds rich relationships and provides families with the books, information, and resources they need to develop the foundation for their children’s school readiness and school success.
For Educators and Community Organizations
Whether you are an educator who needs books for your students in a school classroom, daycare, preschool, community learning center, or learning pod or a community organization that would like to provide books to the families you work with through a book giveaway or event, you can complete the form below to find out how to receive books from Book Harvest. Please note that requests for organizations and teachers can take 1-2 weeks to process, and submitting an application does not guarantee that we will be able to approve the request. If you are in need of less than 25 books, we kindly ask that you check our 24/7 outdoor carts for your free books.
If you have questions, please contact Book Bank Manager Caitlyn Bergman at caitlyn@bookharvest.org. We also encourage you to look into these resources for literacy support:
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- First Book
- Your Local Library
Apply to receive books from Book Harvest
Please note that requests for organizations and teachers can take 1-2 weeks to process, and submitting an application does not guarantee that we will be able to approve the request. If you are in need of less than 25 books, we kindly ask that you check our 24/7 outdoor carts for your free books.