Expanding Access to Books
Sharing Books for Good
Thank You, Chicago
Neighbor to Neighbor Literacy Project was dissolved in May 2023, but its legacy continues, thanks to so many great partners and community volunteers who carry on the impact of neighborhood book boxes and book sharing across this wonderful city! Thank you for five fantastic years of book exchanging, reading, storytelling, and community building…the Neighbor to Neighbor team made no small plans and the City of Big Shoulders showed up and embraced them!
We Imagine
a Chicago where every neighborhood overflows with free books in readily accessible places and where every Chicagoan has all the books they need to read, grow, and thrive.
Our Mission
We are creating new access points for books, right on the blocks where people live, work, and play, and building a citywide sharing network to eliminate book deserts and promote the joy of reading across Chicago.
What We Did
Expanding Access
Our neighborhood Book Boxes brought access to free books into the spaces where people spend the most time. We looked for creative ways to overcome access barriers and connect people with literacy resources. We supported neighborhoods with book donations to provide opportunities for everyone to own books and read.
Building Community
We connected neighbors and neighborhoods through a citywide network to facilitate sharing and spark positive interactions between diverse communities. Volunteer build and install events allow Chicagoans to directly support neighborhood literacy efforts.
Inspiring Readers
Combining read aloud time with creative activities, our programs brought books to life and make reading fun. Story and activity trails helped visitors build literacy skills while enjoying outdoor spaces. Children, youth, and adults can all be inspired by ‘out of the box’ literacy fun.
Our Impact
“We were altering the book access landscape and harnessing the power of sharing to build communities where reading and storytelling is encouraged, supported and celebrated. ”
225+
Book Boxes Donated
50+
Chicago communities* + Blue Island and Harvey
31
communities* with multiple Neighbor to Neighbor Book Boxes (including 10 with 6+ each)
31
combination Pantry/Book Box locations
14,000+
households with expanded access
60,000+
books shared annually
*City of Chicago Community Areas Map
“I like this park because I can read lots of books in this little library. Sometimes there are even gifts in it! That’s great! Thanks for everyone who creates and maintains it!”
“Thank you for the books. Thank you for caring about our neighborhood.”
Connect With Us
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