Baltimore
Books Through Bars

Our mission

We are a volunteer organization that sends free books to incarcerated individuals throughout Maryland, with the goal of alleviating the dehumanizing and isolating effects of incarceration.

Our process

1. We receive book requests by mail from incarcerated individuals throughout Maryland.
2. We find the book(s) that best match their request in our library.
3. We package and send the book(s) to the individual, in accordance with their facility's rules and restrictions.
4. The books are theirs to keep or share!

Our partners

We are proudly affiliated with Urban Reads Bookstore, a longstanding provider of books to incarcerated readers.We are supplied with free books from The Maryland Book Bank.We are currently housed in Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in the historic neighborhood of Old Goucher, Baltimore.

How to request a book

Books requests can be mailed to:
Baltimore Books Through Bars
1794 Union Ave | Baltimore, MD 21211Please include: full name, SID, preferred type(s) of book, and any known facility restrictions (e.g., requires invoice, no more than 3 books).You can also request a book on behalf of an incarcerated individual using this form.Note: Because all our books are donated, we can't guarantee any specific titles, but we'll do our best to find a good match!

How to support us

We would not exist without people who donate money for postage, which is how the majority of our funds are spent, as we are a group run by volunteers with a donated space and donated books.
Thank you!Donate

Book Donation Guidelines

Books can be dropped off anytime on the south covered loading dock at 1794 Union Ave Baltimore, MD 21211. Look for the Maryland Book Bank sign!Please label your bag/box with "Books Through Bars."

Please note:

Books must be paperback & in good or new condition. No highlighting, underlining, margin notes, stains, or spiral-bound books. Thank you for helping us reduce package rejections!

Most needed

- Activities such as adult coloring books, puzzles, wordfind, crossword, tabletop RPG guides
-Astrology and tarot
-Conspiracies, UFOs, aliens
-Comics, manga, graphic novels
-Dictionaries and thesauruses
-Genre fiction: true crime, thriller, horror, urban, romance, fantasy, sci-fi
-How-To (drawing, origami, chess, knitting)
-Legal dictionaries
-Spanish language, bilingual dictionaries
-Trade, business, personal finance
-Wicca, paganism, occult
-Bodyweight workouts and yoga guides

Request a book

Books requests can be mailed to:
Baltimore Books Through Bars
1794 Union Ave | Baltimore, MD 21211Please include:
- Full name
- SID
- Type(s) of book requested
- Known facility restrictions (e.g., requires invoice, no more than 3 books)You can also request a book on behalf of an incarcerated individual using this form.Note: Because all our books are donated, we can't guarantee any specific titles, but we'll do our best to find a good match!

Volunteer with us

Our volunteer needs are currently met. Check back soon for information about new opportunities!