Books Unite Our Community

The Neighborhood Book Peddler exists to make books freely available throughout New Orleans. We believe literature should function as a shared public good, not something shaped by cost, distance, or circumstance. Through free book giveaways, literacy programming, author events, and community partnerships, we bring books directly into neighborhoods and place them into the hands of anyone who wishes to read.

Since our first community giveaway, The Neighborhood Book Peddler has continued to grow through grassroots support, book donations, and partnerships with individuals and organizations across the city. Our gatherings create welcoming public spaces where readers of all ages can discover new stories, connect with one another, and build deeper relationships with literature.

An important step in that growth is our first author reading, made possible through a grant from the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund (NOTCF). The event features New Orleans author Alison Toussaint and The Prince of New Orleans, expanding our work beyond book distribution to create opportunities for storytelling, local literature, and cultural programming.

As we grow, our focus remains simple: putting more books into more hands. Our long term vision includes expanding our mobile book presence throughout New Orleans, strengthening partnerships with schools and community organizations, developing ongoing literary programming, and establishing a permanent public space dedicated to free access to books.