Promoting literacy, the love of reading, and distributing free books to underserved neighbors in our community!

Did You Know? 

• According to the most recent Kindergarten Readiness Assessment only 42% of children in Washington County entered school "fully ready to learn"?
• Owning books is critical to intellectual and social development and research shows that reading aloud to kids is THE single most important act you can do to help prepare a child for learning. 
• The risk of not graduating high school increases if a child is not reading on level by 3rd grade.
• Literacy is critical to economic development as well as individual and community well-being. 

What We Do

We procure new and gently-used books and distribute them to underserved communities throughout Washington County. When were not collecting and sorting books, you can find us in local neighborhoods, nursing homes, summer camps and after-school programs. Our partner organizations include Boys & Girls Club, Girls, Inc., Hagerstown Day Nursery, Lasting Change Recovery Solutions for Women and many other organizations.To date, we have distributed over 15,000 books in the community!

Our Partnerships

The "Ladies for Lasting Literacy" program at Lasting Change recently made holiday cards for Books United. This program will gift new books for the holidays to 15 organizations.  These amazing ladies are sharing their joy of reading to others in our community! Thank You!

The Out of School Time Collaboration led by the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County is one of our many community partners taking an increased role in developing and growing the literacy of both young children and older youth. These programs are well-positioned to integrate creative methods to increase students' appreciation for reading and writing. 

When school is out for the summer, you can find us at local summer camps or visiting the WCPS Meal Machine sites. Not only do the kiddos receive a meal, we hand out books to keep them learning and engaged!