GET INVOLVED

News and events

Get free books, browse the stacks, or lend a hand

• Browse the stacks – by appointment. Send an email if you want to make a private appointment to browse the stacks. Minimum 20 – 40 book ($5 donation) requested for private appointments.
• Volunteers. We are still working on a formal volunteer program. If there is a particular way you want to help, let us know.
• Teachers, schools, libraries. If you are an educator or literacy-focused nonprofit, we have a small amount of funds available to distribute. We prefer to give gift certificates to brick-and-mortar stores (support local!), but other modes of assistance can be offered as well.
• Children’s books for teachers. We have a moderate number of picture books, and a MEGATON of elementary / junior high books. All free for teachers, no limit!

IT SEEMS SIMPLE

Get books off the shelves, keep them out of landfills, and get them to people

Books in Hand has a simple goal — to promote literacy by getting books into the hands of the folks who want them. We do that by:

• Accepting book donations, sorting, and re-gifting to the community
• Providing books for other literacy organizations, Little Free Libraries, senior centers, etc.
• Giving money and gift certificates to schools, teachers, and other nonprofits
• Supporting local bookstores, resellers, and individuals in their efforts to keep books out of the landfills by getting them to end users

OUR IMPACT

Recent progress

• October – gave away 543 books at three open-stacks days.
• July – Sept 2026: Gave gift cards to Pegasus and Moe’s bookstores, totaling $2370 to: Prisoners Literature Project, West County Reads, Riverside Elementary, Fairmont Elementary, Sheldon Elementary, Caliber Beta Academy, Oakland High School, Oakland Technical High School, Laurel Elementary
• Accepted 6741 books in as donations from July – September.
• Generated $1969.33 of profit from book sales in September. (That’s after paying off all the bills.) We have money to give away!