Cook County Book Bus Brings Library to Schools

A converted prisoner transport bus now delivers donated books to students at schools that lack libraries.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Primary Education

Photograph of a white converted bus parked beside a brick schoolyard, its rear door open onto shelves of books under soft daylight. — Chicago's Cook County Sheriff's Office launched a book bus converted from a former prisoner transport vehicle that now serves 60 schools lacking libraries. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Cook County Sheriff's Office has launched a mobile library book bus converted from a former prisoner transport bus. The bus now serves 60 schools, with another 60 on a waiting list.

Why it matters

Many Chicago Public Schools no longer have libraries due to funding, leaving students without regular access to books. The program gives students a way to obtain reading material without an additional financial burden on taxpayers.

The bus has collected more than 30,000 donated books and currently serves 60 schools, with another 60 schools on a waiting list. The department has not said when or whether it will expand beyond the current reach.

The players

Cook County Sheriff's Office

The law enforcement agency that operates the county's jails and runs the book bus program, which was converted from a former prisoner transport vehicle.

Tom Dart

The Cook County Sheriff who conceived the book bus program as a way to put books in front of students at schools without libraries.

The details

Students at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood can board the bus and choose books to take home, returning every two weeks for new ones. The program was conceived by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and launched a year ago at Woodson Elementary, which does not have a library.

A year before publication: The book bus program launches at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School.
Every two weeks: The bus visits Woodson Elementary School.

Season Trajectory

The program extends a pattern of schools losing library staff and space in Chicago Public Schools, filling a gap the district has not closed. It offers a model that does not depend on new district spending, though its reach remains limited to 60 schools with a waiting list of equal size.

Families at the 60 participating schools can get new books every two weeks at no cost to take home. Students at schools on the waiting list will have to wait for the bus to reach their school.

The takeaway

Donated books and a repurposed vehicle can put reading material in front of students when school libraries are unavailable. Parents and educators in Chicago can watch whether the program expands to the schools now waiting for it.