Read in Color with Little Free Library

“You’ve joined a network of thousands of like-minded readers who believe diverse books matter. Together we can increase understanding, empathy, and inclusion in communities around the world.”

While this message would be at home on any of the pages of the DiverseSTEMBooks.com website, it’s actually part of the Little Free Library (LFL) movement. It’s the message you’ll see after you take their pledge to Read in Color.

The Read in Color® campaign is a program that seeks to widen the availability of books that:

Provide perspectives on racism and social justice
Celebrate BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized voices
Incorporate experiences from all identities for all readers

Further information about the pledge can be found on the Read in Color page on the Little Free Library website, or you can sign it directly at this link. Write a line or two about why you chose to sign, or just add your name (you can choose to leave your full name, or just first name or initials if you’d rather).

Afterwards, read the Read in Color Pledge Wall and get a sense of the more than 7,000 people who also are invested in making reading more inclusive!

The Campaign

The Read in Color campaign grew from the response to George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, which happens to be the backyard of LFL headquarters. Following the May 25, 2020 killing, LFL “worked with our community to develop Read in Color to help create meaningful change.”

That work has resulted in the distribution of 40,000 diverse books across 15 cities nationwide. That’s 40,000 volumes already in the hands of children and adults throughout the US, filling the gap between the lived experience of communities of color and the reflection of their lived experience on the page of books.

How to Get Involved

Since you’re reading this at DiverseSTEMBooks.com, we know you care about this issue. There are several ways to get involved to support LFL’s Read in Color campaign:

Sign the pledge and spread the word! Use the tag #ReadinColor when using social media. For Facebook and Instagram, use @LittleFreeLibrary, and on Twitter use @LtlFreeLibrary.
Sign up for the Read in Color newsletter.
Make a donation to their work funding more diverse books through just about any payment method or platform you prefer.
Download Read in Color Resources and a Launch Pack for stewards of Little Free Libraries. Find participation certificates in Spanish and in English, bookmarks, library signs, and stickers.
For existing LFL library stewards, apply to be a Read in Color Partner, with cohorts beginning in spring and fall of each year. The information packet is available here.

Boxes of Books

One of the best ways to make an immediate and direct impact is to put books in boxes – Little Free Library book boxes, that is. Whether you donate one book or one hundred, you will be helping to create meaningful change, one story at a time.

Share diverse books in your own neighborhood. LFL’s map will help you locate a book box near you. But also keep in mind that diverse books should reach areas with diverse communities, so consider a location in which the books will make the most impact.

If you don’t know what book titles to share, we’ve got a few ideas for you on our Book pages. We feature fiction and nonfiction book lists for both adult and young readers, and there are recommendations specific to different topics within STEM and to different identities. The Read in Color program also shares its own list of Recommended Reading, which of course is not STEM-specific like ours at DSB, but covers more general books you may wish to include.

Pass on your appreciation for inclusiveness and your love of reading. It’s a pretty efficient exchange: the price of a few books for social change you believe in. We were proud to sign the pledge and encourage you to do the same!

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