The last time we checked in on Roger and Susan Atlas, in 2023, their project to get as many free books as possible into the hands of readers was foundering . Since then, they've turned things around. Roger Atlas explains. When DISCOVERBOOKS went bankrupt, we lost almost our entire supply of 48 tons of books annually which we provide to 400 non-profits. Our largest destination for books was Books to Prisoners. We feared not being able to continue giving at a high enough quanti

Year-round, you can donate books from the comfort of your own home by ordering from the online wishlists each of these stores maintains for us: Charlie's Queer Books Wishlist Outsider Comics & Geek Boutique Wishlist Phinney Books Wishlist Queen Anne Book Company Wishlist Third Place Books Wishlist Or visit them in person: Couth Buzzard - year-round wish-table - 8310 Greenwood Ave N Left Bank Books - year-round wish-shelves - 92 Pike St. Charlie's Queer Books - 465 N 36th St O

If you want to experience a win-win-win situation this spring, consider buying a book for someone in prison during BTP’s Independent Bookstore Day promotion, April 21-May 5. BTP is partnering with a handful of local independent bookstores and a family foundation to bring hundreds of much-needed new books to our readers. How it works: Our bookstore partners will have a BTP-specific table at their physical store, or an online wishlist. If you visit one of our bookstore partners

In 2023, we received about 12,000 individual requests. Your generosity made it possible to send over 31,000 pounds of books to incarcerated individuals. That's the weight of three adult T.Rexes! All dinosaurs aside, we want to thank all of you for what you have contributed this year. Thanks to: The many individual or small-group donors who gave, small amounts or large, to support prison literacy. Special recognition to some of our institutional supporters, The Hull Family Fou

In 1982, Banned Books Week was launched during the first week of October to protest the sharp rise in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. This year, the last week of the month has been designated Prison Banned Books Week (PBBW), to shine a light on the disproportionate role prisons play in book censorship. In observation of PBBW, we are partnering with these four local bookstores to get some of our most highly requested titles. If you purc

And extra thanks to Amit, Neiha, Christina, and Kris for gleaning books left over from the sale last Sunday and ferrying them to our space. This is the fifteenth year the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island has let us take as much as we can scoop up in half an hour, once the sale has ended. This year, they donated: 3 boxes of dictionaries 3 boxes of cookbooks 2 boxes of gardening 1 box of games (including chess) 4 boxes of history 1 box of art/how to draw+paint 1 box of philosop

You’ll stay cool as a cucumber at a picnic or a picket line. Shirts feature a quote from Eugene Debs and our permanent mailing address. “While there is a lower class I am in it. While there is a criminal element I am of it. While there is a soul in prison I am not free.” “Books to Prisoners, Box A, 92 Pike St, Seattle WA 98101” Juan from Oregon $30 includes postage. To order, email bookstoprisoners@live.com. Tell us whether you’d rather use Paypal or send a check. Specify

Last month, University Behind Bars donated 75 boxes of books from their library. Lots of high school and college textbooks, books about computer programming and skilled trades, Afro-American history and other highly-requested subjects. This month, they gave us four white-laminated bookshelves that really light up the room! Do you have books you’d like to donate? See what we need right now. #bookdonations

Shop local in Seattle and support Books to Prisoners starting tomorrow! Phinney Books, 7405 Greenwood Ave N Left Bank Books, 92 Pike St Queen Anne Book Company, 1811 Queen Anne Ave N. Each of these three stores will have a table devoted to frequently-requested titles. Whatever you spend on books from those tables during Independent Bookstore Days will be matched by a grant that will go to buy more books for incarcerated readers. You can shop online from Queen Anne Book Compa

Thanks to Kate Reading, Micheal Kramer, and the Wheel of Time fans of the https://www.patreon.com/littleband who recently donated over $1200 to BtP. Kate and Michael, who record the audio versions of the Wheel of Time books written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, are long-time BtP supporters. Donate at least $50 to BtP (or another group that sends free used books to prisoners), send them the receipt, and they will record a greeting message of up to 100 words for you.

Another slogan on a board? Your support makes it real. In 2023, we anticipate over 14,000 requests from people in prisons and jails across the US. They may have few – if any – other ways of accessing books for education, personal growth, or companionship. We want to take a moment to thank all of you who continue to make our mission a reality. We couldn’t do any of this without you. What can your donation do? $25 pays postage to send two pounds of books each to six people. $1

Banned Books Week is here! Banned Books Week (September 18th-24th) is an annual awareness campaign of the American Library Association. As we know, Banned Books Week is every week for people incarcerated in prisons, jails, and detention centers across the country. Every day, people inside face ridiculous and repressive restrictions to what literature they can access. We know that the most repressive censorship and book banning in this country happens behind bars. That’s why

Wednesday, May 9th is GIVEBIG, a one-day online giving campaign to raise funds for local nonprofits. You can support Books to Prisoners by donating to our Paypal (below) or going to GIVEBIG’s website. DONATE VIA PAYPAL $25 sends packages of books to seven people $100 provides postage for an entire day of requests for books $500 provides dictionaries (our #1 request) to 100 incarcerated individuals Why donate? Incarcerated people face significant barriers to being able to acce

Open Books, a great poetry book store in Seattle, is holding a book drive to benefit Books to Prisoners. Now through the end of December, come to their store at 2414 N. 45th Street in the Wallingford neighborhood. Drop off a book for us and snag a FREE book of your choice to take home! See the list of suggested donations on the announcement.

The Community Read this quarter at Shoreline Community College is Octavia’s Brood. To celebrate its themes of social justice and hope, the college has organized a book drive in support of Books to Prisoners. Through February and March, books can be dropped at two locations on campus: on the main floor of the Howard Library, and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union Building. Can’t make it to SCC this quarter? Books can always be donated at our headquarters!

Barnes & Noble is holding a book fair to benefit Books to Prisoners! A portion of qualifying purchases will be donated to Books to Prisoners, so shop and support our organization two ways during December: Come to the Southcenter Mall Barnes & Noble (300 Andover Park W, Tukwila, WA 98188) on Sunday, December 13, from 12 pm to 2 pm. Mention the book fair code 11715281 during check-out. December 13-17, shop online at www.barnesandnoble.com. Check the box for making a purchase as

Books to Prisoners is honored to be chosen as a finalist for a LEAP grant through Better World Books. Vote every day through June 19 to help inmates across the country access vitally needed books about entrepreneurship and non-profit work. The top two organizations, as voted by you, will earn $5,000. Read more–and vote for us–at the LEAP grant site. Inmates face significant hurdles to employment upon re-entry. Research shows that access to educational and vocational resources

Left Bank Books, located by Pike Place Market in Seattle, has a special relationship with Books to Prisoners. Since 1973, this bookstore has graciously donated space to receive our incoming prisoner requests and book donations. Without the help of Left Bank Books, Books to Prisoners would not exist as it now does–and now, this bookstore needs your help. Via Indiegogo, Left Bank Books is asking for donations to maintain and expand its services. Your donations will help Left Ba

Geeks Who Drink wants YOU to play trivia to support Books to Prisoners! On May 29, 2014 at 8pm, Geeks Who Drink will host a pub quiz at Madrona Ale House in the Central District of Seattle. A $5 buy-in per person gets you a night of brain-tormenting questions, a chance to win money if your team comes in first, and that warm n’ fuzzy feeling that only comes from helping inmates across the country regain access to information often lost to dwindling prison library budgets and r

Village Books, a bookstore in Fairhaven, Washington, offers to send Oxford American Dictionaries to prisoners for $6 each. Bellingham Books to Prisoners is a sister organization of Seattle-based Books to Prisoners.