Give ME Books: Free Books for Your Group
For Requesters: who can ask, how to ask, what happens after a Pick-Up Partner takes your request, and how long it takes.
Give ME Books is how schools, libraries and community groups get free books from the Network. Clients give their books, local Pick-Up Partners pick them up, and Partners share books with organizations like yours. If you ask for books through Give ME Books, you're a Requester.
Who Can Ask#
- Schools, public and private, building classroom or library collections
- Public, school and community libraries
- Little Free Libraries and neighborhood book boxes
- Homeschool families and co-ops
- Tutoring centers and reading programs
- Shelters, charities and other community groups
Have a different need? Send a request anyway and tell us about it.
How to Ask for Books#
Fill in the form on the Give ME Books page. You'll tell us:
- Your organization, your name and how to reach you
- Your address, so we can find Partners near you
- Who the books are for, like elementary, high school or adult readers
- What kinds of books you need, and roughly how many
- Why you need them
You can describe the kinds of books you need, like reading levels or subjects, but you can't ask for specific titles. Books come from what Clients give, so Partners share what they have.
What Happens Next#
- Your request goes out to the Pick-Up Partners near you, as far as 100 miles away.
- A Partner offers to help. When a Partner takes your request, you and the Partner each get the other's contact details.
- You work it out together. Either of you can reach out first to arrange a drop-off or a pick-up, whatever works for both of you.
- The Partner marks it done, and we email you to confirm how many books you received. That helps us recognize Partners who give generously.
How Long It Takes#
It depends on the Partners near you and the books they have. Some requests are taken within days, others take a few weeks, and we can't promise a Partner will take every request. Partners near more Clients, and with more books on hand, can help sooner.
Good to Know#
- It's free. There's no cost to you.
- Books are used, mostly in good condition. Partners pick quality books to share.
- More than one request is fine. Please ask for what you genuinely need, so every group gets a fair chance.
Have books to give instead? See Client basics.