Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Wire Baskets of Books at the Laundromat

On the wall of a laundromat in Wyoming, Ohio, four wire baskets hold books like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel — each one stickered with an invitation to “Read it, Love it, Pass it on.” It’s a small thing, and also not a small thing at all. The Laundromat Library League, now spanning more than 200 locations across the United States, was born when two Pennsylvanians noticed children slumped over their parents’ phones in the spin-cycle waiting room and thought: ‘What if there were books instead?’ Volunteer stewards like Janice Weiser restock their displays every ten days, pulling stray magazines and adding donated titles — a quiet, unglamorous act of care on a regular Tuesday. The numbers behind the project carry their own weight: four in ten fourth graders read below grade level, and that figure climbs to seven in ten among lower-income children — kids who are also less likely to have age-appropriate books at home. A 2019 study found that children in laundromats with reading spaces engaged in literacy activities 30 times more than those without. As one board member puts it, “We find children where they live, where they spend time” — which turns out to be one of the most radical things you can do for a child. Over a decade, the league has quietly placed more than 400,000 books into circulation, one borrowed copy at a time.

Be The Change

Think of a laundromat, waiting room, or community space near you that could benefit from having children’s books. Gather a dozen children’s books from friends, a local library sale, or your own shelves and ask the owner of the space if you can set up a small book display. It could be as simple as a box with a handwritten sign.