Books & Literacy Access

Lynn is home to more than 100,000 people — yet the city has just one public library. Over half of all households speak a language other than English at home.

 

Approximately 77% of students are reading below proficiency. Researchers call communities like ours "book deserts," where access to age-appropriate reading materials is virtually nonexistent. In high-poverty neighborhoods nationally, there is just one age-appropriate book for every 300 children.

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The REAL Program refuses to let geography or income determine who gets to read.

We have built and installed more than 45 Little Free Libraries across Lynn and surrounding communities — colorful, hand-painted book-sharing libraries stocked with free books that anyone can take. No library card. No due date. No barriers. Each one is created with the help of community partners, local artists, and volunteers, and every one puts books within walking distance of families who need them most. To date, we have distributed more than 380,000 books — and we're just getting started.

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Our goal is to install 250 Little Free Libraries, transforming Lynn into a City of Readers — a place where every child, every family, and every neighborhood has a book within reach.

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See where our libraries are located and find one near you.