Celebrating the 30th Annual Harvest of Books!
For 30 years, the Harvest of Books has brought our community together to put brand-new books into the hands of Lincoln students and help foster a lifelong love of reading.
Founded in 1997 by former Lincoln Education Association President Dan Studer, Harvest of Books is a community-wide literacy program sponsored by the Lincoln Education Association (LEA), with KFOR Radio serving as a promotional sponsor.
Since the program began, Harvest of Books has provided more than 256,213 brand-new books to Lincoln students, and we’re excited to make our 30th year even more special!
📚 Exciting News for Our 30th Year!
Thanks to the generosity of a private donor, the 30th Annual Harvest of Books will expand to include second-grade students (once again!) in addition to first graders!
This generous contribution will allow us to reach even more Lincoln students and give thousands of children the opportunity to choose a brand-new book of their very own.
2026 Harvest of Books Drive
October 1–15, 2026
Community members are invited to purchase new children’s books for donation at participating Lincoln bookstores during our annual fall book drive.
Many participating bookstores offer special discounts on books purchased for Harvest of Books, making it even easier to help us fill our shelves!
Participating Bookstores:
Barnes & Noble (both Lincoln locations), Elleinad, and Sower Books.
Books collected during the October drive will be gathered and sorted by Lincoln Education Association volunteers before being distributed to students during Read Across America in March 2027.
We like to think of it as “planting” the gift of books in the fall and “sharing the harvest” in the spring.
How Harvest of Books Works
Each spring, Harvest of Books brings brand-new books directly to Lincoln Public Schools students.
Students have the opportunity to choose a book that interests them and take it home to keep.
For some children, the book they receive through Harvest of Books may be one of the first books they can truly call their own. There’s something special about choosing a new book, writing your name inside it and knowing: This book belongs to me!
That simple experience is at the heart of Harvest of Books, and has been for 30 years.
❤️ Help Us Grow the Harvest
There are several ways you can help put books into the hands of Lincoln kids:
- Purchase a new children’s book at a participating bookstore during the October 1–15 book drive.
- Make a monetary donation to Harvest of Books at any time throughout the year.
- Give in honor or memory of someone special and help continue their legacy through the gift of reading.
- Help spread the word about Harvest of Books in our community.
100% of donations to Harvest of Books are used to purchase books for Lincoln students.
Donate by Mail
Checks may be made payable to Harvest of Books and mailed to:
Lincoln Education Association
4920 Normal Blvd.
Lincoln, NE 68506
Or click here to donate online.
30 Years of Growing a Love of Reading
What began in 1997 has grown into a beloved Lincoln tradition.
Over the past 30 Harvests, the generosity of local bookstores, businesses, educators, volunteers, donors and community members has helped provide more than 256,213 books to Lincoln students. And in our 30th year, thanks to the generosity of our community and a special private donor, we’re able to grow the Harvest even further by reaching both first- and second-grade students.
Every book donated represents more than a number. It’s a new story to discover, a new adventure to experience and, most importantly, a book a child gets to call their own.
Thank you for helping us grow the Harvest for 30 years, and for helping us inspire the next generation of readers.
Thank You to Our Promotional Sponsors
The Harvest of Books would not be possible without the generous support of our community partners.
A special thank you to KFOR Radio for helping us spread the word about Harvest of Books throughout the Lincoln community and for their continued support of this important literacy program. We are incredibly grateful to all of the businesses, bookstores, organizations, donors and volunteers who help make Harvest of Books a success year after year.
Thank you for helping us grow the Harvest!
