Free bookshop hopes to build a community of book lovers in Fort Worth

The bookshop expands the efforts of The Welman Project to be a resource for teachers and families.

A nonprofit known for providing free supplies and support to teachers is expanding its reach to do something good for more people in the community.

The Welman Project in Fort Worth just opened a free bookshop called Pages for the People. It's inside the nonprofit's location on the Near Southside, where the mission is to fill a classroom, not a landfill.

Shelves are lined with children's books, along with books from crafts to romance to books in Spanish.

Want a book to take home? It's yours. Got too many at home? Donate 'em.

"One of the things you know that we believe is that books should belong to everyone, and we had so many books that we were getting in from the community that we knew we had enough to share, and it could be a resource that didn't just need to go to teachers that it should be a resource that everyone can have," said Elizabeth Dragga, the new book access program manager.

Dragga was the founder and former Executive Director of The Book Truck, a teen literacy nonprofit that served book deserts across Los Angeles for the past decade. She's now returned to her home state to address the growing need for book access, bringing the Book Truck vehicle and her proven method with her.

"Just the presence of books in the home increases literacy rates exponentially. And we want books on those shelves," Dragga said.

The nonprofit hopes to build a community where everyone has access to stories, knowledge, and the joy of reading.

Pages for the People is open during The Welman Project's regular business hours.

Visitors can donate up to one box of gently used books when they shop, or make an appointment for a larger amount. Book lovers are encouraged to join the bookshop volunteer team by signing up for a shift on the Welman website.