NBF's Book Rich Environments Program Returns
Launched in January of 2017, the National Book Foundation's Book Rich Environments initiative provides resources that reinforce local efforts to combat lack of literary access, often termed “book deserts.” The national program is a collaboration between the National Book Foundation, which serves as lead partner, the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, the Urban Libraries Council, and the National Center for Families Learning. By the end of 2019, BRE will have provided over one million free books to families living in public housing authorities, distributed in partnership with local libraries, community centers, and authority staffs across the U.S. Book contribution commitments come from seven U.S. book publishers: Candlewick Press, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster. This year, three new sites, in Louisville, Ky., Lincoln, Neb., and Portland, Ore., will be joining for the first time, bringing the number of local partnerships up to 39 sites in 22 states.
