Charlotte: Mobile Book Collective Offers Free Books to Promote Literacy Accessibility

Free mobile collective gives away books to people in the community

A nonprofit organization gifted 12,000 books in its first year.

Books on the House: Bringing Literature to the Community

Books on the House is a free mobile book collective founded by Kat Varner and Jesse Brown in the Charlotte area. The nonprofit aims to promote literacy accessibility by providing free books to individuals in the community.

According to Varner, the executive director of the organization, Books on the House served over 3,500 families in the nine months of operation in 2023, giving away a total of 12,000 books. The initiative offers books at various events, pop-up libraries, and little libraries across the Charlotte area.

Building Bridges to Literacy

Varner and Brown receive donations of new or lightly used books from the community, which are then passed on to eager readers. Brown, the director of outreach and engagement, emphasized the importance of promoting reading from a young age. He shared his personal experience of discovering his love for reading in college and expressed his belief that earlier exposure to books could have positively impacted his academic performance.

“Reading wasn’t really pushed for me when I was growing up, but I also didn’t have the opportunity to participate in the school book fairs. That was always difficult for me, and I want to be able to give kids that experience, that same experience,” said Brown.

Varner, who comes from a background in education, marketing, and fundraising, highlighted the significance of reading in her life since childhood.

Erasing Barriers to Reading, One Book at a Time

Books on the House aims to not only support children but also adults who play a crucial role in fostering a love for reading in young individuals. Varner stressed the organization’s commitment to breaking down barriers to accessing books by actively engaging with the community through their book mobile.

“Books on the House is about building bridges for accessibility to those books, and it’s important to us to be able to erase some of those barriers by going with our book mobile into the community to provide books for adults and kids for free,” said Varner.

Individuals who have received books from the initiative expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to access a wide variety of books without financial constraints.

“Books are expensive, and it’s hard to get them sometimes. It’s great to have so much variety and not have to pay for them,” said Amanda Lea, a beneficiary of Books on the House.

Making a Difference Through Literacy

Brown and Varner are dedicated to making a positive impact on the community by promoting literacy one book at a time. Through their continuous efforts, they hope to eliminate barriers to reading and encourage a love for books among individuals of all ages.

“That’s how we know we are making a difference; we see it in action,” Brown remarked, reflecting on the impact of their work.

The organization serves residents in Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, and Cabarrus counties. Those interested in donating books can find drop-off locations on the Books on the House website.

Source: HERE News