A region-wide, independent collaboration to encourage early childhood literacy, Read to Me! ABQ Network has been a ready source of new or gently used children’s books for more than two decades, collecting hundreds of thousands of books. Most books go to school programs and learning centers where students and families need them most, in and around Albuquerque. Other distribution locations include laundromats, Little Free Libraries, food pantry sites, neighborhood associations, and community centers. We've also provided tens of thousands of books in Albuquerque city buses and the New Mexico Rail Runner.
We used to organize an annual children's book drive. However, Read to Me ABQ! Network recognizes that the need for books exists year-round, so efforts to both collect and distribute children's books are now ongoing throughout the year. With donated funds, the network is also able to partner with local bookstores and distributors to purchase new books at reduced costs to better serve specific needs of young readers in and around Albuquerque. We are always looking for bilingual books in English and Spanish along with books in English and other languages, in addition to books in indigenous languages to support our tribal areas within New Mexico.
To date, books gathered by Read to Me! ABQ Network have been distributed to the following sites:
Elementary Schools
A. Montoya
Apache
Arroyo Del Oso
Bel-Air
Chamiza
Chaparral
Chelwood
Cochiti
East San Jose
Emerson
Hawthorne
Inez Science & Technology Magnet
Kirtland
Lew Wallace
Longfellow Dual Language Magnet
Los Padillas
Matheson Park
Mission Avenue STEM Magnet
Mitchell
Mountain Mahogany Charter
Painted Sky
Reginald Chavez
E. G. Ross
Rudolfo Anaya
Susie Reyes Marmon
Valle Vista
Whittier
Wherry
Other Grades
Albuquerque Sign Language Academy K–12
Atrisco Heritage High School
McKinley Middle School
Mountain Mahogany Charter
New Futures High School
Washington Middle School
Local APS Programs
APS Albuquerque Reads
APS Elementary Reading Intervention
APS McKinney-Vento Homeless Program
APS Story Time in the Park
Schools Outside of APS
Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)
H2 Academic Solutions, Belen
Katherine Gallegos Elementary School, Los Lunas
La Promesa School, Veguita
Los Lunas High School
Rio Rancho Elementary School
University of New Mexico (UNM)
Bernalillo County and City of Albuquerque Programs