American Girl and The New York Public Library To Give Away $1 Million in Free Books to Kids Beginning On November 3

Literacy initiative part of major donation from American Girl to the Library’s 88 branches in celebration of new American Girl store in Rockefeller Plaza

NOVEMBER 3 – Beginning today, New York Public Library branches are getting all dolled up thanks to American Girl.

The company famous for its line of historic dolls, books, and accessories has donated $1 million in American Girl books to The New York Public Library, which has branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Beginning today, any child or teen with a New York Public Library card or who signs up for a card at their local branch will be eligible to bring home and keep one of the 100,000 books.

The book giveaway not only encourages children to read, but to obtain library cards and visit their local branches, which offer a wide range of books, materials, programs, and classes – all for free. Families can find branches at nypl.org/locations. Any New York State resident is eligible for a New York Public Library card; a parent or caregiver must be with a child 12 or under signing up for a card.

Books are only available while supplies last.

The book giveaway is part of a major, multi-faceted donation from American Girl to The New York Public Library in celebration of their new store, American Girl Place, opening in Rockefeller Plaza on November 11. In addition to the books, the company also donated one doll to every New York Public Library children’s room, and a set of books to each branch to be placed in circulation. 

“The New York Public Library is thankful to partners like American Girl, who understand the importance of children developing a lifelong love of reading, curiosity, and learning from an early age,” said NYPL President Tony Marx. “We expect this partnership to get kids excited to read, excited to get library cards, and excited to visit their local branches. We look forward to welcoming them, and to check out many more free books to them in the future.”

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with the New York Public Library to celebrate the grand opening of our new American Girl Place store at Rockefeller Plaza,” said Katy Dickson, President of American Girl. “For more than 30 years, literacy and storytelling have been at the heart of what we do at American Girl, so we’re thrilled to provide a diverse selection of our popular character books to New York area children in support of the library’s ongoing efforts to encourage reading and strengthen communities.”

Media Contacts

The New York Public Library: Angela Montefinise, angelamontefinise@nypl.org

American Girl:  Stephanie Spanos, Stephanie.Spanos@americangirl.com 

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.  

About American Girl

American Girl is a premium brand for girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), a creations company that inspires the wonder of childhood. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an inspiring world of dolls, content, and experiences that nourish a girl’s spirit and help develop her strength of character. Best-selling lines include Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty Baby™, WellieWishers™, and the classic historical character line BeForever™. The company sells products through its award-winning catalogue, on americangirl.com, in its proprietary U.S. experiential retail stores, as well as at specialty retailers nationwide and in Canada and Mexico. By inspiring girls to be their best, American Girl has earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of parents and educators.