NEW YORK, N.Y., May 27, 2026 – On June 9, House of SpeakEasy’s Bookmobile will embark on a 27-day tour of America’s original 13 colonies, distributing free new books and inviting readers to engage with the evolving legacy of the nation’s founding.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the “We the People” Bookmobile tour aims to celebrate and examine the democratic ideals that have informed our nation’s literary spirit over the last two and half centuries. Through literature, conversation, and public programming, the tour asks what “We the People” has meant across generations and what it means today.

The Bookmobile—a custom-built, 27-foot box truck lined with bookshelves—will carry an inventory of 6,000 titles spanning our nation’s literary and political traditions. Selections include the collected writings of the Founding Fathers; copies of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; anthologies of American essays, speeches, and poetry; as well as stories from every era of American life, including biographies, memoirs, and fiction that together form a literary portrait of the United States.

Featured works come from partners including Library of America, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and Applewood Books, alongside contemporary works from publishers including Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and others.

Seriously Entertaining: “We the People”

The tour will begin June 9 at The Public Theatre in Manhattan with an exhibition, book display, and literary cabaret centered on the theme “We the People.” The exhibition, “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” curated by Gilder Lehrman, draws on primary sources to trace how the Declaration of Independence has inspired movements for equality and self-determination in the United States and around the world.

At 7 p.m., House of SpeakEasy’s flagship onstage program, Seriously Entertaining, will present a conversation featuring James Basker, Terrance Hayes, Chyana Marie Sage, and Heidi Schreck, co-hosted by journalist and historian John Avlon and Library of America President Max Rudin. After the show, there will be an official send-off as the Bookmobile departs for the first stop of the tour.

If you or others in your network would like to have the Bookmobile visit your community during this tour, please contact [email protected].

The Inventory

The Bookmobile’s inventory features the collected writings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton among others; political pamphlets and debates from the Revolutionary War; multiple editions of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, including options for children; anthologies of American prose, poetry, and political commentary from contemporary scholars; collections of American activism: abolitionism, environmentalism, civil rights and peace advocacy; and kids’ books that make all of the aforementioned content accessible to younger age groups. Beside these tour tailored selections, we will also have a general inventory of books in all genres and at all reading levels so that every Bookmobile visitor has ample options.

Additionally, the Bookmobile will travel with the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s panel exhibition “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” which features seven freestanding panels that use primary sources to illustrate how the Declaration has inspired Americans and people across the world in their pursuit of equality and self-determination.

The History

The House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile is part of a storied lineage of mobile libraries stretching back to America’s first bookmobile, launched in 1904 by the visionary librarian Miss Mary Titcomb in Washington County, Maryland.

Since its debut in 2017 with help from Billy and Kathy Rayner, the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile has traveled thousands of miles across the country, distributing tens of thousands of free books in communities across the five boroughs of New York City.

The “We the People” tour is the most ambitious Bookmobile expedition to date, following up on House of SpeakEasy’s 2019 “Poetry to the People” tour, a 10-day, 10-city journey in partnership with Narrative 4.

Institutional Partners

The “We the People” Bookmobile tour is a partnership between House of SpeakEasy, Library of America, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

About House of SpeakEasy

House of SpeakEasy is grounded in the belief that the ability to read and write enables a person to know their rights, be confident in their identity, and engage boldly and empathetically with the world around them. Our programs support reading, writing, and public participation in literary culture.

On Stage. In Schools. On the Road.

Learn more at houseofspeakeasy.org.

About Library of America

Library of America, a nonprofit organization, champions our nation’s cultural heritage by publishing America’s greatest writing in authoritative new editions and providing resources for readers to explore this rich, living legacy. Widely recognized as the definitive collection of American writing, Library of America editions encompass all periods and genres—including acknowledged classics, neglected masterpieces, and historically important documents and texts—and showcase the vitality and variety of America’s literary legacy. Additional public programs, digital resources, and community partnerships help readers worldwide make meaningful connections with the nation’s written heritage.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute (GLI) of American History is the leading nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of American history through educational programs and resources. It serves K-12 teachers and students, honors scholars, and welcomes and informs the general public.

MEDIA CONTACT
Walter Greene, Marketing Manager
House of SpeakEasy
+1 (845) 667-0026
[email protected]

BOOKMOBILE PROGRAM CONTACT
Don Geci, Bookmobile Manager
House of SpeakEasy
+1 (619) 937-5073
[email protected]