Books in the Community
We provide books to organizations serving marginalized communities in Knox County. Our volunteers work with these organizations to select appropriate books and then arrange for delivery or pickup at the Friends @ Rothrock Used Book Shop in Lawson McGhee Library.
In FY22, Friends distributed 11,364 books and other materials to 39 community partners and 16 Little Free Libraries. We placed a particular emphasis on purchasing and placing diverse books.
Friends relies on monetary donations to purchase most of our diverse books. Diverse books, often written by and about people of color, allow young readers to see themselves reflected in the books that they read.
For more information about Books in the Community or to see if your organization qualifies, please email us at books@knoxfriends.org.
One Book Read City
One Book Read City is a community-wide program that gives elementary students in Knox County an opportunity to engage in reading the same book. The program fosters reading at home, encourages dialogue, and brings community organizations and schools together through events and activities centered around the book.
For the inaugural One Book Read City in the spring of 2022, all Knox County Schools elementary students received a copy of The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling. Friends funded the books for Lonsdale, Maynard, West View, and Green Magnet elementary schools.