New Home Library Project Launches in NYC
House of SpeakEasy, the National Book Foundation’s “Book Rich Environments” program, and the New York City Housing Authority’s Office of Public Private Partnerships & Family Partnerships Department have launched a new program to build hundreds of home libraries in underserved communities in multiple boroughs across New York City.
From June through November 2021, the SpeakEasy Bookmobile will visit Borinquen Towers I & II in Brooklyn, chosen by NYCHA, on alternating Saturdays of each month, distributing free books to residents. It will also deliver books to NYCHA developments in the Bronx, Harlem, and the Lower East Side throughout 2021 in an effort to combat "book deserts." Book titles will range across ages and reading levels and be offered in both English and Spanish. Books will be donated by publishers including Candlewick, Hachette, HarperCollins, MacMillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks.
