Hundreds of Lincoln residents gathered at Antelope Park on Saturday for the fourth annual Wordstock festival, a community‑driven book‑swap organized by the nonprofit Linked2Literacy. The pavilion filled with tables of free books, offering titles for every age group and encouraging families to build home libraries.
Volunteer effort fuels the event
Linked2Literacy’s Programs and Community Outreach Director, Ashley Larson, explained that the success of Wordstock depends on volunteers and local donations. “We know that books can change lives,” Larson said. “Our mission is to get books into the hands of people in our city, our state, and beyond, so they can become more empathetic, engaged, and active in their communities.”
Months of sorting and planning preceded the festival. Community members and local businesses contributed books, and volunteers turned garages, basements and dining rooms into temporary sorting stations. “If it had been just us, it would have taken more time than we had available,” Larson noted.
Families fill bags and swap titles
Attendees walked through rows of tables, selecting books to take home. Many families filled bags with as many titles as they could carry, while also swapping out books they no longer needed. The atmosphere was lively, with lines forming before the doors opened and a sense of excitement that Larson said had grown each year.
All proceeds from the event will support families lacking access to books, fund future book fairs, and expand literacy education programs throughout the region.
Looking ahead to a larger event
Buoyed by the strong turnout, Linked2Literacy is already planning a larger venue for next year’s Wordstock, aiming to accommodate longer lines and provide even more space for the free‑book exchange. The organization hopes the expanded event will continue to foster a love of reading and strengthen the community’s commitment to literacy.
Wordstock exemplifies how local nonprofits, volunteers, and families can collaborate to promote education, family bonding, and the shared value that books can indeed change lives.
Original reporting: KLKN-TV – News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, Nebraska — read the source article.
