Program areas at Bookleggers Library
Bookleggers outreach fleet: in 2021, Bookleggers launched a multimedia bookbike equipped with speakers, a shelving system, complimentary wi-fi capabilities, and, of course, free books. It allows people to access books and cultural programming outdoors. Launched at the end of 2023, the traveling book trailer is fully equipped with custom-mobile friendly shelving and roll out book carts. It opens with ramps on both sides, allowing for smooth foot traffic, and ample space for visitors. It allows a pop-up bookshop at essentially any location throughout miami-dade county.
Libraries & collections - the main program of Bookleggers Library is the free bookstore housed at the bakehouse art complex open 4 days a week to the general public. The collection is entirely donation based, and people, institutions, and businesses drop off books (approximately 125 per week) instead of destroying them. Approximately 25 people per day visit the shop and take books. The organization has distributed over 100,000 free books in the last 12 years.
Adventure-leggers - miami's only youth and comic book festival for kids, adventure-leggers is a yearly festival exploring creativity through comic books, literary adventure and interactive programming. The festival offers interactive experiences focused on hands-on informal family learning centered around steam activities as well as music, artist-led workshops, technology, creative-professional workshops and more. Adventure-leggers aims to promote a lifelong love of reading while also introducing kids to creative pursuits that might spark their curiosity.
Digital programs: booklandia & storytime are our flagship digital programs. Booklandia is a partnership between islandia journal and Bookleggers Library to scan rare, out-of-print books and ephemera into their final digital forms, and to commission creative work inspired by them. In 2023- 2024 Bookleggers produced and launched storytime, the podcast. Each season follows one artist as they rediscover their roots and tell the stories of where they are from.