Bookleggers is a nonprofit mobile library located in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, Florida that expands access to free books as a way of building community.

History and mission

Bookleggers was founded in 2012 by Nathaniel Sandler. Founded with the mission to save books and share them with the community for free. Sandler stated, "We're trying to keep history, culture, and books alive." Since its beginning, Bookleggers brought free books to people in South Florida. Through pop-up events and partnerships with organizations like O’Miami, The Underline, and Bakehouse Art Complex, Bookleggers has circulated over 35,000 books making reading accessible to more in the city. Its mission gained increasing significance as bookstores faced closures and libraries struggled with budget cuts. Bookleggers has been an active participant in local events throughout South Florida, bringing free books to communities from the

Everglades National Park Everglades National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the Un ...

and

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

Biscayne Bay Biscayne Bay is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is large ...

. Bookleggers has rescued books from across South Florida, including a significant haul from the Miami Herald's former office building. The Miami community has also played a crucial role in building Bookleggers' collection, donating a diversity of literature. In 2020, the organization received a $250,000 grant from the

Knight Foundation The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, also known as the Knight Foundation, is an American non-profit foundation that provides grants for journalism, communities, and the arts. The organization was founded as the Knight Memorial Education ...

to support its digital expansion and post-COVID adaptation. This funding enabled Bookleggers to develop programs, fund staff and leadership, and evolve as a donation-based library reflecting Miam's cultural diversity.

Programming

Bookleggers programming has changed in response to community needs incorporating new dimensions that Sandler refers to as “bookmobility”. With both in-person events and digital programs, Bookleggers have developed different projects such as Bookbike, library trailer, Adventure-leggers and installations. At the same time they have created a digital presence with projects such as Booklandia and Storytime Podcast.

References

{{Reflist Miami Non-profit organizations based in the United States Mobile libraries