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Community Board 1 member Christina Cover (left) invites passersby to take free books as part of the board\u2019s book exchange initiative, launched Dec. 6, 2025. <\/p>\n
Photo by Emily Swanson <\/p>\n
Community Board 1, which serves the South Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Melrose and Port Morris, held its first-ever book exchange event on Dec. 6, providing free books to neighbors of all ages.<\/p>\n
The board\u2019s Education, Youth and Young Adults Committee set up a table outside the office at Third Avenue and East 156th Street and invited passersby to take any titles they wanted. As the sidewalks bustled with holiday shoppers, several stopped to browse the offerings for themselves or to add to their gift-giving stash.<\/p>\n
The selection of books included something for everyone, from classics like Ernest Hemingway\u2019s \u201cThe Old Man and the Sea\u201d and \u201cThe Autobiography of Malcolm X\u201d as told to Alex Haley, to newer, critically acclaimed titles such as Margaret Atwood\u2019s \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u201d and \u201cInto the Wild\u201d by Jon Krakauer. <\/p>\n
It also included dictionaries, biographies and options for kids and young adults, such as \u201cThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian\u201d by Sherman Alexie and \u201cThe Witches\u201d by Roald Dahl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The CB1 book exchange featured a wide range of titles, from classics to kids\u2019 books to dictionaries. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n
Inside the office, board members added more books to the inventory and regularly replenished the selection outside.<\/p>\n
Joyce Pulphus, committee member and high school principal, said CB1 has already received several book donations, including from a local school library that donated more than 200. Through the giveaway itself and the outreach involved in making it happen, \u201cWe\u2019re looking to build community,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a successful launch, the board hopes to expand the book exchange in 2026. They plan to collaborate with the Third Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) to bring the event to Roberto Clemente Plaza, an even busier area with constant foot traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As more residents become aware of the event, the board also invites them to bring their own books to exchange for new ones.\n<\/p>\n
Teacher and CB1 member Christina Cover said a plague of \u201cchronic disinvestment\u201d has resulted in many Bronx kids reading below grade level. \u201cThis is one step we can take towards promoting literacy in the Bronx,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The percentage of New York City students meeting the state\u2019s bar for English Language Arts proficiency increased by 7.2 points since 2024, from 49% to 56%, according to the most recent state data<\/a> \u2014but Black and Latino students lag behind their white and Asian peers by double-digit margins.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cover said she hopes the book exchange will help instill a love of reading in people of all ages, while demonstrating that the community board \u2014which many people are not even aware of \u2014 is actively caring for its residents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to bring something positive and free of cost,\u201d Cover said. \u201cCommunity boards matter, and the things we do locally make a difference.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The book exchange is tentatively scheduled for the first and third Saturdays of each month, with the next dates being Dec. 20 and Jan. 3. CB1 is also accepting donations of gently-used books (no monetary donations) at its office at 3024 Third Ave.<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t