Miami's only free bookstore wants to keep bookstores alive
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Tucked away in the back of Wynwood's Bakehouse Art Complex where you might expect to find another art studio or workspace, there are stacks of used books available to anyone — for free.
Why it matters: As literary culture faces threats from censorship to competition for people's attention, Bookleggers Library, Miami's first and only free bookstore, remains focused on keeping books and bookstores alive.
- "We feel like we're doing important work," Nathaniel Sandler, the nonprofit's founding director, told Axios. "The community needs books, [to] share books [and] be around books."
The intrigue: Sandler thinks Bookleggers is one of the only free bookstores in the country and likely the last traditional used bookstore in Miami: "If there are others, we'd like to find them."
Catch up quick: Bookleggers launched as a popup in 2012 to provide books to underserved communities and residents without access to free or inexpensive books, like homeless shelters and prisons, Sandler said.
- In 2019, it moved into its current space, and a few years later expanded again to ensure the store could continue reaching underserved communities.
- In 2021, it launched Bookbike and its Library Trailer, both of which can serve as a mobile library.
What they're saying: "The reason we don't have bookstores isn't for lack of interest. People are hungry, excited and joyful for books and for reading," the library's development director Sarah Cruz told Axios.
- "That's why this model is so cool. It bucks the system of this profit-based motive that forces you to compete with the big names, like Amazon," she said.
How it works: To ensure books remain free and accessible, the nonprofit fundraises and receives grants from various organizations, including The Al & Jane Nahmad Family Foundation, the Knight Foundation, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, the Miami Foundation, the Green Family Foundation and the county.
- It accepts used book donations from individuals, the public school system and classroom libraries, often acting as "the last line of defense for books in the city," Sandler said.
Friction point: The library lost $25,000 in state funding when Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million for arts and cultural initiatives from the 2024-25 state budget.
- Sandler said he expects similar cuts in future budgets. "We don't think the money is coming back."
By the numbers: Since its founding, "well over" 125,000 books have "gone out" of the library with a similar number coming in. "And we feel confident we're under-reporting," Sandler said.
- It has accepted more than 1,250 books monthly and welcomed more than 157,000 attendees at various events.
- Most recently, at the Miami Book Fair, the library gave away more than 5,300 books.
What's next: The store isn't accepting books until the new year. But Cruz is developing a new program called Stacks, a tiered program for those who want to support the organization financially.
- To further expand access, they hope to open the library on Saturdays in 2025.
