Detroit Bookfest Attendees Donate 5,000 Books for Detroit Kids
| For Immediate Release: | August 25, 2026 |
| Contacts: | Detroit Bookfest: info@detroitbookfest.com Alyce Hartman: hello@birdiesbookmobile.org |
Attendees of the 9th annual Detroit Festival of Books donated 5,000 children’s books at the July 2026 festival, all of which will help Detroit children build personal libraries of their own. The collection surpassed last year’s total by 300 books and was organized in partnership with Detroit-based nonprofit Birdie’s Bookmobile. The 5,000 books is 300 more than festival organizers collected in 2025.
“Those 5,000 books will now make their way directly into the hands and homes of Detroit children,” said Alyce Hartman, founder and executive director of Birdie’s Bookmobile. “We’ll sort them by age and reading level, then distribute them through Birdie’s Bookmobile’s free school book fairs, community events, Little Free Libraries, and our book bank, Birdie’s Book Nest. What Bookfestgoers donated in one weekend will become bedtime stories, favorite books, classroom discoveries, and growing home libraries for thousands of children across our city.”
“Bookfestgoers really showed up for Detroit kids,” said Ryan M. Place, founder and chair of the Detroit Festival of Books. “5,000 books is an extraordinary response from our community, and what makes it especially meaningful is knowing those books will go directly into the hands and homes of young readers across Detroit. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who brought books and to Birdie’s Bookmobile for turning that generosity into something lasting.”
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About Detroit Bookfest
Founded in 2017, Detroit Bookfest is Michigan’s largest book festival and one of the largest literary events in the Midwest. Held annually at Eastern Market, the free festival brings together booksellers, authors, publishers, libraries, literacy organizations, and thousands of readers from across the region to celebrate books, literacy, and the written word.
