The Library is excited to announce the return of Project Cicero, the book drive for under-resourced New York City public schools. Join us in our 22nd year supporting teachers and their growing readers. To date Project Cicero has distributed 4,000,000 new and gently used books to more than 35,000 New York City classrooms, reaching over 1,000,000 students.

Now more than ever, teachers are eager to refresh and restock their classroom libraries to provide a wide variety of high quality and engaging books for students from elementary through high school. The weekend of April 9-10, we expect over 1,200 devoted teachers to attend our book distribution event to select books for their classroom libraries.

How can YOU help?

Donate books for children and teens (no adult books or textbooks, please):

Thursday, 3/31 through Thursday, 4/7 please drop off new and gently used books (for children and teens only) in the Library's entry stairwell. You don't have books, but you do want to donate? Please purchase high-demand books from our Wish List; Wish List books will be shipped directly to the Library.

Volunteer at our book distribution event:

We need book lovers like you to help sort and distribute the thousands of books we collect. Register to volunteer at our book distribution event on Friday, April 8, Saturday, April 9, or Sunday, April 10.