The Bright Lights Book Project is a Palmer, Alaska based organization. Our volunteers salvage, sort, clean, categorize, and distribute books locally and statewide. Books come from Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS) and other sources.

We currently stock 35 bookcases that are located in area businesses, government buildings, and Palmer and Wasilla schools. We also ship books to villages off the road system. The bookcases are located in places frequented by the general public and by students. The books are free and need not be returned. Recipients include those of all ages, genders, and reading levels, with a focus being on providing books to children and young adults. For a list of all bookcases we stock with free books, see Locations.

Bright Lights Book Project volunteers often hear from parents and teachers that the reason why students are less apt to read is because parents can’t afford to purchase books. We are addressing this need by making free books available to children and adults.

According to National Assessment of Educational Progress, Alaska currently has the lowest reading proficiency rate in the nation for fourth grade students. We are helping to counter this deficiency by making free books available to area school children. To this end, we partnered with the Mat-Su and Anchorage school districts and accepted a total of 9 pallets (stacked five-feet tall) of discarded books from school libraries.

We intend to distribute these books, as well as other books we acquire through other sources, to students in local schools. With funding from the Palmer Community Foundation and through a partnership with the Mat-Su Vocational and Technical High School, students will build bookcases for free book locations at Mat-Su Borough schools.

In 2022, Last year we salvaged and distributed over 50,000 books from Valley Community for Recycling Solutions. Through our partnership with VCRS, we are able to keep these books in our community.

Carol assisting kids at the Sutton Library painting newspaper boxes for little free libraries donated by the Valley Frontiersman.

Pat reading during the kids' program at the Sutton Library.

BLBP is welcoming volunteers to assist with events, book gathering and book preparations).  Contact, Alys Culhae: (907)745-4747 director@brightlightsbookproject.org

BLBP UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, March 10th, 1:00-5:00 P.M. The Church of the Covenant Meeting House and the Bright Lights Book Project are hosting an open house. Books will be available and refreshments will be served.

April 14, 15, & 16, Kiita Learning Community Bookfair in Utqiaġvik.