Floating Library
Children's books have a short life on any one family's shelf — the Floating Library keeps them moving, so a book outgrown by one child becomes a discovery for the next.
Program details
- Ages
- All ages
- Schedule
- At community events and partner libraries
- Format
- In person
- Language
- English and Mandarin titles
Program highlights
Give a book, take a book
Bring books your family has outgrown and choose new ones to take home. Keep them as long as you like; there are no due dates.
Bilingual collection
English and Mandarin titles side by side, so bilingual families can find books in both languages in one place.
Books stay in circulation
Every book that changes hands is one more child reading and one less book going to waste.
How it works
The Floating Library travels to BrightUp Kids events and partner libraries as a table of children’s books, sorted by age and language. Families are welcome to:
- Bring books their children have outgrown, in any condition a child would still enjoy
- Take books that catch their child’s eye — as many as they will genuinely read
- Simply browse if they have nothing to bring; there is no exchange requirement
There is nothing to sign and nothing to return. A book that leaves the table has done its job.
Why a book exchange
Children move through picture books quickly. A book that a four-year-old adores is often finished with by five, and for bilingual families the problem compounds: Mandarin children’s books are harder to find locally and more expensive to replace.
Pooling books across families solves both at once. It puts more books in front of more children, and it keeps perfectly good books out of the recycling.
Donating books
If you have books to contribute but cannot make an event, get in touch — we collect donations between events and bring them to the next one.
Register
Complete the form below and we will email you the joining details before the next session.