3,794
Libraries within 13 Countries
3,949,541
books shipped
1,500+
Partnerships
Our Mission: The African Library Project changes lives book by book, together with partners in Africa and North American volunteers, to create, improve, and sustain libraries in African communities.
Our Vision: expand opportunities by creating spaces that nurture literacy.
Why Organize a Book Drive with the African Library Project?
• Too many children on the African continent grow up without books, while bookshelves and landfills elsewhere overflow with books no longer read.
• In many of the communities we serve, young people have little to no access to reading materials beyond textbooks (when provided).
• We serve Anglophone countries where students are tested in English for standardized exams that are required for advancement. However, these students lack books to support their reading development.
• Reading fosters critical thinking skills and creativity.
• Teachers in many rural areas may teach reading, writing, math and English without a single book to use as a resource.
Our Approach
Our volunteers in the United States and Canada organize book drives by rallying their communities to collect gently used children’s books and raise funds for shipping. Thanks to our international network of partners, volunteers, and community supporters, these donated books are transformed into sustainable community-based libraries. Here’s how we do it!
1. Partner
We partner with local organizations in African countries to find and vet schools and communities in need of books.
2. Mobilize
We mobilize volunteers and match each U.S. or Canadian book drive to an approved school or community.
3. Sustain
Working with our partners, we ship and distribute each library to the recipient school and provide support and training for sustainability.
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Our Blog
Book Drive Organizers Host Movie Night Fundraiser
The African Library Project recently received a generous donation of books for their libraries in Africa, but they needed help covering the shipping costs to get the books to their destination. That's where the Book Drive Organizers stepped in, hosting a movie night...
ALP’s Impact: KISS Library and Learning Centre | Malawi
13th December, 2022 will go down in history as a very memorable day at KISS Library & Learning Centre. This was the day we, together with other 60+ beneficiaries received and
offloaded our books from the M-14 Container.
BDO Hack: Find Books at…Half Price Books Store
Are You in Need of More Books? If you’re looking for more books for your Book Drive, we recommend contacting your local Half Price Books (HPB) store (see location directory here). Call your local store and let them know that you’re collecting book donations to create...
