What We Need:

Stamps
Because our ONLY need for funding
is postage, you can help us by directly
purchasing stamps from the automated
machines at the Post Office and
mailing them to us. Here's how:

1. Visit the Self Service Machine
(Due to USPS Policies, we can
only use stamps purchased
from the automated machine-
see our website for a list of 24hr
kiosks)

2. Select Buy Stamps

3. Select Buy a Different Value
Stamp

4. Enter the value of $2.69, $3.17
or $3.65 (A 1lb package costs
$2.69 to send, 2lbs costs $3.17,
and 3lbs costs $3.65 these are
all Media Mail Rates, the
cheapest way. )

5. Enter a quantity of 1 to 5
stamps

6. Make a payment, collect the
stamp(s), and mail to:

BOOKS THROUGH BARSNYC
c/o Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
You can use this fresh,
professional brochure just as it is
or easily customize it.
On the next page, weve added a


What We Need:

Money for Postage


Books Through Bars would not exist without
the generous donations we receive. All funds
go directly towards postage for sending
packages.

It costs approximately:
$20 to send packages to 5 people,
$40 to send packages to 10 people
$60 to send packages to 15 people
$80 to send packages to 20 people
$100 to send packages to 25 people

All donations are tax-deductible.
You can donate online at
booksthroughbarsnyc.org, or by making a
check out to ABC No Rio (our fiscal sponsor)
and mailing to:

BOOKS THROUGH BARSNYC
c/o ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002


NYC BOOKS
THROUGH
BARS
booksthroughbarsnyc.org
btb@abcnorio.org

NYC Books Through Bars is a
volunteer collective that sends free,
donated books to incarcerated people
around the country based upon
letters they send.

Requests for Books from
Incarcerated Individuals Should be
Sent to:

BOOKS THROUGH BARSNYC
c/o Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002



What We Need:

Books

Our most requested items are dictionaries
(both English and foreign-language) and
thesauruses Besides for this, we are always
looking for books on the following topics:

* African-American history,
* Native American history
* Latin American history
* How-to (drawing, chess, etc.)
* Mayan and Aztec history
* Memoirs by people of color

We can only take paperbacks since most
prisons do not accept hardcover books, and
they are expensive to mail.

See our website booksthroughbars.org for
other books we do not accept.

Books can be brought to Freebird Books (123
Columbia St., Brooklyn) during the following
times:

* Mondays 7:30-9:30pm
* Sundays 5-8pm
What We Need:

Volunteers

Come help us pack books! We meet twice a
week in the basement of Freebird Books:

* Mondays 7:30-9:30pm
* Sundays 5-8pm

Freebird is located at 123 Columbia Street
between Kane and Degraw, in Carroll
Gardens/Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. From the
Bergen F/G stop, or the Borough Hall 4/5
stop, walk along Court Street to Kane, then
down Kane to Columbia. Or, take the B61
bus to Freebird's front door.

BTB NYC is based out of the basement of
Freebird books. The basement area is
generally inaccessible to most individuals
with mobility-related disabilities, and/or
individuals with chronic breathing or dust
sensitivities. As a collective, Books Through
Bars NYC is committed to ensuring
accessibility for volunteers with disabilities
whenever possible. If you are interested in
volunteering, please email btb@abcnorio.org
so we can discuss accommodations that can
be made.

Why This Project?

There are currently close to 3 million
people in state and federal prisons and
in local jails. Access to books in prison
varies from state to state, partly because
nowhere is it legally mandated that
prisoners have a right to educational or
recreational reading material, including
through general library services. Most
people who write to Books Through
Bars tell us that they are indigent and we
are their only source of reading material.

68% of state prisoners have no high
school diploma. In New York State
prisons, there are about 63,000 people
total, and 50% of them never
completed high school.

In prison, especially in solitary
confinement, reading peoples stories in
the form of novels or autobiographies or
reading about current events helps stave
off social deterioration and
dehumanization.
You can see examples of some of the
many letters of gratitude weve received
over the years on our website,
booksthroughbarsnyc.org.