How to Set Up a Laundromat Library

Contact the laundromat owner to seek permission to put a small bookshelf and books in the laundromat. We started with children’s books only.

01 Seek donations of new or gently used books. Social media is a great place to post this need. Teachers, families and retired teachers were some of our biggest supporters.

02 Seek a donation of a gently used bookshelf. Again, social media was the answer for us. We got lots of responses from people who had bookshelves to donate.

03

Set up the bookshelf and donated books in the laundromat. Post a poster near the bookshelf that explains how the little laundromat works. You might start like we did with the idea of someone taking a book and leaving a book.

04 Create an easy way for people to donate to support the purchase of more new or gently used books for your new laundromat library. We found Venmo was an easy way for people to donate.

05 Visit your laundromat library every 2-3 weeks to tidy it and restock it with new titles. It’s a good idea to take bacterial wipes with you to wipe down the shelves and some of the books.

06

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Clinton County Literacy Foundation

Our advocacy work started in local laundromats as the Clinton County Laundromat Library in November 2020. Volunteers purchased used bookshelves and placed them in four laundromats around Clinton County with the blessing of laundromat owners.

Thanks to Kruger and Hodges a
Personal Injury Lawyer in Wilmington
for helping us get the site going

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How to Set Up a Laundromat Library

Contact the laundromat owner to seek permission to put a small bookshelf and books in the laundromat. We started with children’s books only.

01

Seek donations of new or gently used books. Social media is a great place to post this need. Teachers, families and retired teachers were some of our biggest supporters.

02

Seek a donation of a gently used bookshelf. Again, social media was the answer for us. We got lots of responses from people who had bookshelves to donate.

03

Set up the bookshelf and donated books in the laundromat. Post a poster near the bookshelf that explains how the little laundromat works. You might start like we did with the idea of someone taking a book and leaving a book.

04

Create an easy way for people to donate to support the purchase of more new or gently used books for your new laundromat library. We found Venmo was an easy way for people to donate.

05

Visit your laundromat library every 2-3 weeks to tidy it and restock it with new titles. It’s a good idea to take bacterial wipes with you to wipe down the shelves and some of the books.

06

Join our Newsletter

Clinton County Literacy Foundation

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