The Honest Map • 5 Major Literacy Programs + Local Affiliates • What ABQ Donors Should Know
Children's Literacy Programs in Albuquerque — The Donor's Honest Map
The five major children's-literacy programs ABQ donors most commonly search for — Read to Me Program of NM, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Reach Out and Read, First Book, Reading Is Fundamental — plus the local DPIL Affiliate Libros for Kids. Of the five, Read to Me operates on community-donated books and partners with Libros for Kids and DPIL; the other four are structured around new-book pipelines and don't accept used-book donations from the public. This page maps how each one actually works, where the supply comes from, how you can support each, and where your used kids' books should go.
Two patterns to recognize in the ABQ children's-literacy ecosystem
Pattern 1 — programs that DO accept donated books: Read to Me Program of NM is the local example. Per program staff (May 2026), all their books are donated, and they partner with Dolly Parton's foundation and with the Albuquerque-area nonprofit Libros for Kids to distribute books to families. Donors with children's books to give can reach out to Read to Me directly to coordinate, or use NMLP's free in-home pickup if the quantity is larger or the mix is messier.
Pattern 2 — programs structured around NEW-book pipelines: Dolly Parton Imagination Library (mailed monthly to enrolled kids 0–5, locally administered by Libros for Kids), Reach Out and Read (clinical pediatric handoff of new books at well-child visits), First Book (educator-Marketplace orders at publisher-discount prices), and Reading Is Fundamental (in-person distributions where kids choose a new book to keep). These four don't have a way to absorb used-book donations because their delivery models depend on books arriving new, age-appropriate, and in catalog-curated condition. Cash donations and volunteer support are the leverage points for these four.
That structural pattern leaves a real gap. Albuquerque-metro households finish raising kids, clean out the family library, downsize an estate, or close a classroom. Used children's books pile up faster than any one program can absorb them. Read to Me takes some; the Friends of the Library takes some; individual APS school librarians can absorb a small batch at a time. But the bulk volume — the closet emptied, the classroom retired, the estate dispersed — needs a different channel.
NMLP is the route that closes that gap. We pick books up free anywhere in the metro. We hand-sort. The salable adult-book portion goes to resale and that revenue funds the operation; the children's books in good condition route to APS Title I, Little Free Libraries, and family shelters; the unsalvageable copies go to paper recycling rather than getting passed downstream. None of those individual routes are novel — what's novel is putting them together into a free metro-wide pickup service so donors don't have to triage and call five different places.
The 5 programs at a glance
Click any program name to read the full donor guide for that program — including local Albuquerque coverage details, three concrete ways to actually support each, and what to do with used books that the program can't accept.
| Program | Delivery model | Supply source | Takes used books? | How to support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read to Me Program of NM | Distribution of donated books to NM families; partners with Dolly Parton's foundation and Libros for Kids | Community-donated books + partner programs (Libros for Kids, DPIL) | Yes (per program staff, May 2026 — "all our books are donated") | Donate books directly to coordinate; donate cash; volunteer; participate in Libros for Kids Book Fair |
| Dolly Parton Imagination Library | One new book mailed monthly to enrolled kids ages 0–5; local ABQ Affiliate is Libros for Kids | Penguin Random House catalog via Dollywood Foundation | No (program is structurally new-book mail) | Enroll an eligible child; cash to the local Affiliate Libros for Kids (librosforkids.org); attend their annual NM Children's Book Fair |
| Reach Out and Read | Pediatrician hands new book to child at well-child visit (6mo–5yr) + parent coaching | Bulk publisher partnerships through Reach Out and Read National | No (clinical model requires pristine condition) | Cash via reachoutandread.org, advocate with your pediatric practice, new-book drive at participating clinic |
| First Book | Registered educator-members order new books at deep discount from First Book Marketplace | Publisher partnerships + corporate-funded new inventory | No (Marketplace runs on new inventory) | Register as educator-member at firstbook.org (if you qualify), cash donation, spread awareness to local teachers |
| Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) | In-person distributions at partner programs; kids choose a new book to keep | Publisher partnerships + corporate + federal Inexpensive Book Distribution Program when funded | No (program purpose is new-book ownership) | Apply for partnership if you lead a school/program, cash via rif.org, use free Literacy Central + Skybrary resources |
| NMLP (this site) | Free pickup of used children's books anywhere in ABQ metro; hand-sorted routing | Direct from donors (estates, homes, classrooms, churches) | YES — any condition, any quantity | Schedule a pickup, hand off the books, that's the whole ask |
Decision tree: which route fits your situation?
I have used children's books and want them out of my house.
→ NMLP free pickup. Call or text 702-496-4214. Any condition, any quantity, in-home pickup, no fee, hand-sorted to APS Title I + Little Free Libraries + family shelters + refugee resettlement. Damaged copies go to recycling rather than getting passed downstream.
I want to financially support children's literacy in New Mexico.
→ Cash to any of the five programs above is the highest-leverage donation; each one stretches your dollar through publisher partnerships you can't access individually. For New-Mexico-specific routing, the Read to Me Program of NM is the most directly NM-focused. For national programs with reliable local impact, all four (DPIL/Reach Out and Read/First Book/RIF) are well-rated.
I'm an Albuquerque teacher at a Title I or low-income-serving school.
→ Register as a First Book member at firstbook.org — it's free, takes a few minutes, and immediately gives you access to deeply discounted new books for your classroom. Also explore whether your school could apply for a RIF partnership (rif.org). And tell parents in your school community that NMLP will pick up their used kids' books — some of those books will end up back in your classroom library.
I'm a parent of a kid ages 0–5 in the Albuquerque area.
→ Check whether the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is currently active in your zip code (imaginationlibrary.com/usa). If yes, enroll your child — they'll get one new book mailed home monthly until age 5, at no cost to you. Also ask your pediatrician whether their practice participates in Reach Out and Read; if not, that's a great practice-level advocacy opportunity.
I want a tax-deductible receipt for my used-book donation.
→ NMLP is for-profit, so we can't issue a tax-deductible receipt. For 501(c)(3) tax-deductible used-book donations in Albuquerque, the Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library at 501 Copper Ave NW (lower-level Main Library, Mon–Sat 10:30 AM–2:00 PM) is the cleanest channel. They accept used children's books in current readable condition and resell them to fund library programs. For comprehensive 501(c)(3) options across all donation channels, see the tax-deductible donation reference page.
I lead a school or program serving low-income kids in Albuquerque.
→ You have an unusually full menu. Apply for RIF partnership for kid-choice new-book distributions (rif.org). Encourage your teachers to register as First Book members (firstbook.org). Connect with NMLP to set up periodic supplemental used-book deliveries for classroom libraries (call or text 702-496-4214). For pediatric clinics serving your community: ask whether they participate in Reach Out and Read. Layered, all four channels can run at the same school.
What happens after NMLP picks up your kids' books
Worth being concrete. After pickup, the books come back to the warehouse at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. They get hand-sorted. The categories:
- APS Title I classroom libraries. Specific schools have asked for specific grade-level material — early-reader chapter books, picture books, bilingual editions, books matching units they teach. When a request matches what's come in, those books leave the warehouse on the next visit to that school.
- Little Free Library restock route. NMLP runs an active route restocking LFL boxes around the metro. Kid-book bins get restocked from the kids'-book inflow. (One specific restock-day write-up at the May 10 LFL restock story.)
- Family shelters with children's programs. Shelters with on-site programs for kids need a steady inflow of board books, picture books, early readers. The need is constant.
- Refugee resettlement. Families newly arrived in Albuquerque often need a different mix — books with strong picture-context, repetitive structures, bilingual editions when we have them.
- Salvage adult titles fund the operation. The portion of incoming donations that's salable adult material (collectible regional NM, scientific reference, fiction with resale value) goes through NMLP's for-profit resale channel. That revenue funds the free pickup service, the warehouse, the truck. It's why the children's-book routing stays free for the donor and free for the receiving programs.
- Unsalvageable copies → paper recycling. Books that are badly water-damaged, mold-spotted, missing pages, or written in past readability don't get passed to anyone else to sort. They go to paper recycling. The bargain we make with donors is: bring it all, we'll sort honestly.
Read the full donor guide for each program
Each program has its own deep-dive page covering Albuquerque-specific coverage details, the three highest-leverage ways to actually support it, and what to do with the used books it can't accept.
Read to Me Program of NM
New Mexico children's-literacy program. Per program staff (May 2026), all their books are donated. Partners with Dolly Parton's foundation and with Libros for Kids. Reach out to coordinate book donations.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Mails one new age-appropriate book per month to enrolled kids ages 0–5. The Albuquerque-area Affiliate is Libros for Kids — they've distributed 280K+ books to Bernalillo County kids between 2018-2024. Enroll a child or donate cash at librosforkids.org.
Reach Out and Read
AAP-endorsed pediatric literacy intervention. Pediatricians hand a new age-appropriate book to children at well-child visits (6 months to 5 years), plus shared-reading coaching for parents.
First Book
DC-based nonprofit (1992) that delivers new books at deeply discounted publisher prices to a national network of registered educators serving low-income kids. Marketplace runs on aggregated demand.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
Oldest US children's-literacy nonprofit (founded 1966, Margaret McNamara). In-person distributions at partner schools where every participating kid chooses a new book to take home and keep.
NMLP — Donate Children's Books
The actual route for used children's books in the Albuquerque metro. Free pickup, any quantity, any condition. Hand-sorted to APS Title I, Little Free Libraries, family shelters, refugee resettlement.
Disclosure: This hub and the five linked individual program pages are written and maintained by Josh Eldred, the operator of NMLP — a for-profit Albuquerque-area used-book pickup and resale operation that funnels donated children's books to APS Title I, Little Free Libraries, family shelters, and refugee resettlement organizations. The pages exist because Albuquerque donors searching to donate used books to these well-known national/regional literacy programs were searching for routes that don't exist as described. The framing of each program is honest, sourced from each organization's published materials and (in the case of Read to Me Program of NM) direct conversation with program staff, and intended to redirect donor intent to a route that actually accepts used books rather than to disparage any program. All five programs are legitimate and doing important work. None of them are structured to accept used-book donations from the public — that's a category of donor flow that NMLP fills in the Albuquerque metro.
Your Used Kids' Books Still Have Work to Do
All five literacy programs above are doing real work — just not work that can absorb your closet of used kids' books. Those books can still reach kids who'd read them: APS Title I schools, Little Free Libraries, family shelters, refugee-resettled families. NMLP picks them up free, hand-sorts, and routes them. One call.
Call or Text 702-496-4214Josh Eldred — NMLP — Free children's book pickup across the Albuquerque metro.