Have you ever heard the term book desert? Do you know what it means? A book desert is a place that essentially doesn’t have books. It’s heartbreaking, for me, to imagine a place without books.
I grew up surrounded by books. We had them in our home, and we visited the library regularly. If you had some money and wanted to buy a book to keep, there were bookstores nearby. Books were given to me as gifts. And I was a bookworm—so of course, I loved books and wanted more of them. But that’s the point: it was an option. Access to books was something my family could provide.
There were books at school. Books at home. Books at the library. Books at the bookstore. Books were part of life.
But imagine growing up somewhere without that access. Imagine living in a place where the library is small or understocked—or maybe it’s far away and there’s no easy way to get there. Imagine there’s no money for extras like books. You’re just trying to pay the bills. And even if you wanted to buy a book, where would you shop? Yes, Amazon exists, but that still assumes you have the funds and a way to order. It assumes you’ve placed value on books in the first place.
That’s what it’s like in a book desert. Books aren’t a regular part of life. The culture of reading just isn’t present in the same way. But here’s the thing: books are critical. Books set children up for success. Being able to read—on your own, with an adult, with a family member—that makes a difference.
I can’t imagine not having that. I’m looking around right now and I can see 100 books just from where I’m sitting. Research has found that 100 books in a home is a tipping point. If a child grows up in a home with at least 100 books, they’re statistically more likely to be on a path toward academic success. And those 100 books I see right now? That’s not even close to all the books we own. We are rich with books.
But that’s not the reality for everyone. Book deserts exist all across our country and around the world. And I think it’s important to be aware of that—and, when possible, do something about it.
Where Are the Book Deserts in America?
Unite for Literacy has a map that you can use to find the book deserts in the United States, created in partnership with University of Colorado.
Per Unite for Literacy, the lighter the color of an area, the more likely its households are to contain 100 or more books. Conversely, the darker the color of an area, the less likely its homes are to contain books. Darker colored areas also expose areas of structural inequality where families historically do not have access to a regular stock and flow of culturally and linguistically relevant books.
Go to the map page to zoom in on any area.
How to Fight the Book Deserts
There are numerous groups around the country (and around the world) that are working to fight these book deserts and bring books to the people who need them.
A key part to this work is matching books to the recipients. Different communities and cultures will enjoy different types of books so it is important to not just bring books, but bring the best book matches you can into these book deserts.
I recently came across this podcast, End Book Deserts, that features several organizations working to eliminate book deserts. Here are a few that caught my eye but I invite you to view the list and see what catches your attention.
Busload of Books
This one caught my attention immediately because it involves a road trip to all 50 states!
The mission of this program was to fight the absence of resources (books) but also to improve the culture of valuing books. Additionally, it was a data collection mission to support research about effects of bringing in books to these underserved communities.
Busload of Books was about bringing unity and the “great American road trip” and family adventure to the story as well.
Most authors don’t have the time and transportation to be able to reach remote places that would otherwise not get any author visits. So by focusing on these areas in their itinerary, they were able to benefit some of the places that needed their help the most while also bringing visibility to the problem.
Matthew and Robbi were suprised to discover the difference it made when they gave out hardcover books at the visits. The kids said they are getting a “real book”. So even though it costs more to give hardcovers than paperbacks, it makes a big impact.
Pajama Program
Because who doesn’t love getting some fun new pajamas?
When my kids were little I was always a sucker for the cute holiday jammies – especially Halloween and Christmas. Add to that the fact that I recently read Dr Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep, and now know how critical it is to get good sleep – this is a perfect match.
Sleep education + pajamas + books = Pajama Program!
Book Fairies
Because fairies of course! There is actually a similar thing happening in my own community. The librarian of a local elementary school collects books throughout the year so that kids can have books to take home with them over the summer. She is well-known for doing this and anytime books come up in our local community FB group, people will tag her so that she can get books for the kids.
Check out the Book Fairies!
Literacy at the Laundromat
Wash and Learn is a program created by Libraries Without Borders and there are several similar programs throughout the country. It’s all about taking the books to where the people are, and providing the opportunity to read and learn.
The Free Book Bus
The Free Book Bus is not too far from me, in Charlottesville, Virginia. So a more local book desert option. Sharon started the program by purchasing a small school bus at auction and renovating it to carry books. She has a rotating schedule of visits to schools, food pantries, and other places in the community that need books.
Radical Street Librarian – Storybook Maze
Ms Maze was featured on a recent episode of Mike Rowe’s show, People You Should Know. You should definitely watch this video. Ms. Maze has infectious energy and really shows us what the book deserts are like.
I discovered Storybook Maze a few years ago and have really enjoyed supporting her and following her journey on Instagram. I am so happy for her to be featured on People You Should Know!
Book Deserts Are Everywhere
Throughout the world and throughout history, there have always been book deserts. Whether caused by lack of resources or by intentional lack of accessibility (book bans and book burning sound familiar?), it continues to be a problem.
Here are a few other book desert situations I have explored in the past…
Packhorse Librarians
During the Great Depression, as part of the New Deal, women rode long hours on horseback through the remote Appalachian mountains and other areas to bring books to people who needed them.
The women of the Packhorse Librarian program have inspired many authors to write books about them. Check out my list of these stories at Bookshop. So many new books have been written since I first wrote about these amazing women.
Biblioburro
Luis Soriano is a modern, one-man version of the Packhorse Librarians. He saw a need in his remote Colombian community for children to have book access. He saddled up his donkeys, Alfa and Beto, and rides 8 hours roundtrip through dangerous territory to bring books to the children.
Saving Books from the Destruction of War
How far would you go to save a library full of books? Wars and invading forces are notorious for destroying books. Alia Muhammed Baker was the chief librarian of the Al Basra Central Library in Basra, Iraq, in 2003. She worked with friends and family to move as many books out of the library as they could before it was burned.
When a library is burned, history is lost.
You might also enjoy Madeline Martin’s book, The Keeper of Hidden Books, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw.
Here’s a quote from the book.
Bookmobiles
Bookmobiles are not specifically related just to the extreme of book deserts but they are all about increasing book access within the community. I really enjoyed learning about the different ways bookmobiles have adapted to serve their local communities.
Camels, boats, bicycles, etc. So many interesting bookmobiles out there!
The World Needs Books
As a booklover, I could go on for hours about books and why I love them and why they are important for society and how they can help people but I will stop here.
Now it’s your turn to find a book desert near you and send help however you can!
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