About the Book Drive
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Children's Book Drive was started in 2004 and expands from the Capital District to Buffalo and New York City areas. The initiative collects new or gently used children's books for distribution to elementary, middle, high schools, and after school programs. The program continues to grow beyond expectations each year. Children can unlock their true potential by embracing the power of the written word by reading, thanks to the generosity of numerous state agencies throughout the state.
Through the continued partnership with the Albany City School District's Literacy Programs, Project Flight (Buffalo State College), Reach Out and Read, Greater New York, the initiative has garnered amazing results and developed many successful alliances. Since 2004, the total number of books collected from all statewide agencies and satellite locations is 402,055. The 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Children's Book Drive will be held from from February 20 through April 19, 2024