Our Blog

There is a tendency among dedicated readers to look down on reading electronically. Bibliophiles everywhere proudly (and at times, performatively,) announce their love of used books, and not without reason. The tactile experience of physical, printed books is one of life’s most under-appreciated pleasures; used books in particular offer the stories of lifetimes in their wear and tear: an inscription from decades prior immortalizes a grandmother’s love for her grandchild, care

We orient the conversation about literacy around its relationship to success. We can easily quantify this by referencing impressive rates of graduation and upward-trending GPAs – or inversely by examining how illiteracy leads to unemployment. What is frequently excluded in the conversation about literacy is how being able to read means being able to choose. Choice is a beautiful privilege. For as long as humans have walked the earth, choice has helped us develop a sense of au

Wow! It feels like it was a couple of weeks ago that I was writing my very first blog for the Maryland Book Bank, and now I’m drafting my last one. For those who don’t know me - hi! I’m Grace, and I’ve spent the last 9 months working for the Book Bank through a program called MarylandCorps, which allows young people throughout the state to engage in a Service Year. After graduating from Temple University in May 2025, this job seemed like the perfect opportunity to begin my