© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Books to Call Their Own

Maryland Book Bank

Kids from low-income families tend to grow up in homes with fewer books than their middle-class peers. And that difference can undermine how well they read, and what they can achieve in school. The non-profit Maryland Book Bank aims to remedy this imbalance by collecting and distributing free books. Founder Mark Fiering fills us in on efforts to put books in the hands of eager readers. 

The Maryland Book Bank is open to the public Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 - 6 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am - noon. And you can drop off books as a tax deductible donation every day. It’s at 501 N. Calvert Street, near the Baltimore Sun.

A quick update about another free book bank in Baltimore, The Book Thing. The Book Thing suffered a fire last March. They are planning to rebuild and reopen this spring, but for now, a few shelves of free books have been set up at the Peabody Heights Brewery - located at 401 East 30th Street. With limited space, The Book Thing is sporadically accepting donations. Check their Facebook page for details.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.