Bodegas are serving a new purpose in the Bronx.
The convenience stores that are ubiquitous in New York City are now carrying novels for people to take for free, according to the New York Post. The idea was hatched by two Bronx schoolteachers who want to instill a love of reading in residents of the borough, which has the highest poverty rate in the city.
Since launching last fall, the initiative, dubbed Books x Bodegas, has since expanded to include several delis and even a Mexican restaurant.
Teachers Suzanne Likeness and Zoeya Garcia, who live in the Bronx and spearheaded the initiative, said the bodega books are meant to complement libraries.
“The library is a destination, but the bodega is a part of New Yorkers’ daily routines,” Likeness, who teaches high school English as a second language, told The Post, adding that the books — nestled among chips and candy — are “more about the visibility and the accessibility.”
Books x Bodegas is similar to the Little Free Library concept, which follows a “take a book, share a book” model.
The Bronx currently has one independent bookstore, The Lit. Bar. The only Barnes & Noble shut down nearly a decade ago because of a rent hike.
The educators solicit donations on their website, but many books find their way to them from community members eager to support the effort. They have also fulfilled requests out of pocket, including titles from the “Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stine.
Likeness acknowledged that the Bronx, a notorious book desert, needs more options, but she thinks what’s more important is fostering a desire to read.
“Sometimes you don’t know you’re interested in reading a book until you see a title, or a topic that you want, to spark your interest,” she added.
