61% of low-income families have no children's books in their homes, and 37% of children arrive at kindergarten without the skills necessary for lifetime learning.

What is Bill’s Bookshelf? 

Bill’s Bookshelf is a project that provides new or gently used children’s books free to families in the community. These bookshelves are placed at sites where low-income families have easy access to them, and children are invited to choose a book to keep.

Our current locations are: Bethesda Health Clinic, Bethesda Pediatrics, Bethesda Lindale Clinic, East Texas Food Bank, First Presbyterian Church, and the WIC office on North Broadway.

Who is Bill? 

Bill Holmes was a man who loved books. He was also a professor, author, husband, dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He volunteered at Literacy Council of Tyler for more than 15 years, giving 15,000 hours of his time to help others learn. When Bill passed away in 2011, friends and family made donations to Literacy Council of Tyler on his behalf. Through these donations, Bill’s Bookshelf was born. 

How can I help? 

• Hold a Book Drive: A great service project for schools, churches, scouts or other organizations, groups can collect new or gently used children’s books (birth–8 years old).

• Become a Bookshelf Caretaker: Each bookshelf is assigned a caretaker – an individual or group of volunteers willing to maintain the bookshelf and restock as needed.

• Screen Bookshelf Books: A great opportunity for volunteers of any age! Books are screened for age appropriateness and damage, then affixed with the Bill’s Bookshelf sticker.

• Host a Bookshelf or Become a Collection Site: Additional bookshelf sites are available, and collecting books at your location is a great way to get involved.