Important Update for 2026 Book Drive Donors: Due to a recent policy change by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) effective April 1, 2026, the Inside Books Project can no longer accept used books of any kind. This is in addition to the existing restriction on hardcover and spiral-bound books. All donated materials must now be new softcover books to be accepted into Texas prison facilities. For more information on these changes, please read the Houston Chronicle article: “State prison ban on hardcovers threatens to close Texas inmate book project,” published March 16, 2026.
Building on the incredible success of our inaugural drive, we are thrilled to announce that the TCDL Book and Donation Drive is back for 2026! We are once again proud to support Inside Books Project, an Austin-based community service organization.
We invite all attendees to bring new or gently used paperback books to the conference. Your donations provide personal reading material for many Texans, turning our collective “Community in Action” into tangible support for literacy and education for incarcerated individuals.
About the Inside Books Project
Inside Books Project is a volunteer-led nonprofit based in Austin, Texas that sends free books and reading materials to people incarcerated in Texas.
Inside Books is the only books-to-prisoners program in Texas, where more than 130,000 people are behind bars. Their mission is to promote reading, literacy, and education among incarcerated individuals and to educate the general public on issues of incarceration.
Books Most in Need
All donations must be in NEW condition and SOFTCOVER only to meet new Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) security requirements.
- Dictionaries & thesauruses (paperback)
- African American literature and studies (urban fiction, history, etc.)
- Graphic novels, manga, comics (No nudity. Marvel and DC are in high demand)
- Books on how to draw
- Trade books & how-to manuals (plumbing, woodwork, electrical repair, agriculture, etc.)
- LGBTQ+ (literature, studies, etc.)
- Native American history and literature
- Books in Spanish (fiction, non-fiction, & Spanish-English dictionaries)
- Learning Spanish and learning English (workbooks, ESL, bilingual)
- Test prep books (GED, SAT, & similar)
- Latinx studies
- Legal resources (up-to-date, no earlier than 2015)
- Science and math textbooks (up-to-date)
- Computer science and technology (up-to-date, no earlier than 2012)
- Game & puzzle books (especially Dungeons and Dragons)
- Writing & grammar resources
- Business (how to start and run)
- Magazines (especially handyman/how-to, Spanish, men’s health, National Geographic, cars/trucks, fashion)
Items We Cannot Accept
Per the TDCJ policy effective April 1, 2026, the following items will be rejected:
- Used books
- All Hardcover books (fiction and non-fiction)
- Spiral-bound books
- Encyclopedias
- Blank journals or composition books (these have been banned)
- Books with nudity or partial nudity (i.e. string bikinis)
- Martial Arts books
- Books that contain detailed maps of Texas
QR Codes
For any questions regarding the book drive please contact info@tdl.org. Visit the TCDL 2026 website to learn more about the event.