Accessing Books in NYC is Harder Than You Think...

At 2023 community literacy event, a parent remarked in passing that it seemed easier to find a smoke shop than a bookshop in her neighborhood. We did the research. She's right. It's true for most of the city, but especially true in communities that experience poverty.

Children need lots of literacy exposure in order to build the foundational skills necessary to succeed in school and work. But in the Bronx, there are 1,181 stores that sell tobacco compared to 35 libraries--and 1 bookshop.

How far do you have to go to access books?