Read Each Day

The RED Bookshelf is a non-profit community literacy program. Working with community partners, we provides free children’s books on bright red bookshelves throughout Albany to ensure that all children have access to the benefits of book ownership, regardless of income level.

*images created by Nina Stanley

2020 was a challenging year to continue to provide Albany families access to free books. Though a number of RED Bookshelves were made inaccessible by the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, we were able to find different ways to get books to children, distributing a total of 36,517 books by the end of 2020.

History

The Bright Red Bookshelf Program came to Albany in February, 2009 as a neighborhood literacy program of the Center Square Association. Through the years, as word got out, bookshelves were added, as more neighbors and friends supported the program. In 2016, the Bright Red Bookshelf Program of Albany was incorporated as The RED Bookshelf, an independent nonprofit. Since its beginning in 2009, The RED Bookshelf has distributed more than 160,000 books for children in Albany!

2009 - Albany County Family Court Children's Center

2010 - Koinonia Primary Care

- Albany County Court DA

- Children's Mental Health

2011 - Child Advocacy Center

2014 - Albany Medical Center Pediatric Group

2016 - Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center

2017 - Community Care Physicians Albany Family Medicine

2017 - St. Peter's Family Health Center

- Albany Medical Center WIC

- Qazir Sutherland Memorial, Ezra Prentice Homes Community Center

- Giffen Elementary WMY School-Based Health Clinic

- Sheridan Preparatory Academy WMY School-Based Health Clinic

- Creighton Storey, Community Center

- Schuyler Achievement WMY School-Based Health Clinic

- Capital Woods, Community Center

2018 -Albany 518 SNUG

2020 -Paul Collins-Hackett joins as Executive Director

-Hood's House of Hoops

2021 - Tru Images Barbershop

-Will's Barbershop, Central Ave.

-Will's Barbershop, Delaware Ave.

-Introduce the FATHER Box, full of Fun Activities To Help Enthusiastic Learners

Inspiring Children to Read

*image created by Nina Stanley