The Reading Nest
We’re on a mission to make books fly into the hands of every child and family in rural Polk County and the greater Oregon area.
The Reading Nest is a free mobile book service that brings stories, smiles, and connection right into our community. From parks and festivals to Resource Centers, our mobile mission is stocked with books for all ages, hands-on activities, and plenty of curiosity to share.
Who We Serve
If you love literacy, learning, or simply the joy of finding a good book, then The Reading Nest is for you! Our services are completely free, welcoming everyone from toddlers to teens, parents to grandparents, and every book lover in between. All are friends of The Reading Nest!
The Reading Nest travels around Polk County and the surrounding area to ensure we meet as many readers as we can, where they are at.
Our Values
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a space where every reader feels seen, respected, and included. Our collection features stories from a wide range of cultures, faiths, identities, and languages, because we believe that every voice matters and every story deserves to be shared.
We also strive to design our stops to be accessible for all. We meet readers where they are. No matter who you are or how you read, there's a place for you at The Reading Nest.
Support the Reading Nest
Join the Flock
When you support The Reading Nest, you’re helping build a culture of reading, belonging, and imagination across Oregon’s rural communities. Please donate, volunteer, or spread the word, because every story shared helps another take flight.
Learn more about supporting The Reading Nest
Thank you for stocking so many amazing books, my partner and I had a hard time choosing and hope to see your bus at more places
learned to love reading while in prison. I have not been able to buy a book of my own since getting released. This means so much to me. Thank you.
Our Bookmobile
The Reading Nest has a home on wheels! We are a fully mobile service for our community.
Our renovated mobile book bus allows us to bring free books, literacy activities, and community resources directly to the people and places that need them most. What started as pop-up events with tables, bins, and boxes of books has grown into a bookmobile that can travel farther, carry more, and serve our communities year-round.
Our bus increases our ability to serve our communities and lower barriers to accessing quality reading materials for everyone. Not only does this bus help us increase the quantity of books we can bring with us, but with our accessibility ramp this help us increase the number of people who can physically access the books we bring with us.
Thank you MAPS Community Foundation!
The Reading Nest is honored to receive a $25,000 grant from MAPS Community Foundation for our bus.
We also are grateful to our other donors who supported this project: Ford Family Foundation, Anonymous donor and Salem Rotary Foundation.
Help us keep the wheels turning!
Now that the bus is running we continue to fundraise for the varying expenses that come with our bookmobile such as gas, insurance, maintenance and filling it with books! Please, if you are able to support us with a one time or monthly donation, donate online or by sending us a check to 169 Broad St. S #32, Monmouth, OR 97361.