I have been hosting book fairs for nearly 20 years as the teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School. Over the years, our book fairs have become much more than a school event. They are a favorite tradition for students, teachers, families, and community members, and they play an important role in the fundraising we do for our library each year.
Book fairs encourage reading, build excitement around books, and create opportunities for our school community to support literacy in meaningful ways. They also bring an incredible amount of energy and fun to our library twice a year. Watching students discover new books, create wish lists, and share their excitement with friends and family is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
For the past several years, we have partnered with Literati Book Fairs. These innovative book fairs offer a fresh approach to literacy-focused fundraising, combining a thoughtfully curated selection of books with flexible rewards for participating schools. Their commitment to promoting a love of reading, while helping schools meet their fundraising goals, has made Literati an excellent fit for our community.
Today, I want to share one of my favorite aspects of hosting a Literati Book Fair: their Profit Rewards program. One of the questions I hear most often from other librarians, educators, and parent groups is how libraries and schools benefit from hosting a Literati Book Fair.
The answer is simple as schools have the opportunity to earn meaningful rewards that can directly support their students, teachers, libraries, and most of all, our readers.
In this post, let's take a closer look at Literati's Profit Rewards options, how they work, and some of the amazing partners that help libraries and schools turn their book fair earnings into even more opportunities to support reading and learning. If you're considering hosting a Literati Book Fair or are simply curious about how the rewards program works, you're in the right place, friends.
One of the features that sets Literati apart is its rewards program. The rewards options are better than ever, giving schools more flexibility to choose what works best for their community.
Schools can earn up to 60% back in rewards from eligible sales, and the program is designed to offer choice rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Schools can choose from:
- Book Profit
- Literati Partner Credits
- Cash Rewards
- A combination of all three
This flexibility allows schools to customize its fundraising strategy and invest in resources that fit the needs of their library, classrooms, and school community.
For many schools, book profit is the most valuable reward option available. This program allows schools to keep books from the fair. Schools can expand and refresh library collections, grow classroom and book club libraries, fulfill teacher wish lists, and support a variety of literacy initiatives.
Cash rewards are another great option. Schools can also get up to 25% of our rewards-eligible revenue in cash to fund projects like...
- Library additions and improvements
- Makerspaces and STEM Labs
- Technology purchases
- Student programs
- Library programming, including author visits and school events
- Special projects and campus initiatives
We can also collect rewards as Literati Credits and redeem them for a Visa eGift Card. I love this option as it maximizes the award values and gives us flexibility in what we purchase with book fair funds.
You can read more about the Visa eGift Card option here.
The last feature of the Literati rewards program I want to share is Literati Partner Credits. These can be redeemed through Literati or a growing network of library and educational partners, allowing schools to extend the value of their rewards far beyond books alone.
Schools can use Partner Credits for:
- Visa eGift Card
- Literati Store credit
- Future in-person Literati book fairs
- Or, redeem with any of their new partners, which I will share more about below.
Literati Partner Credits never expire, giving schools the freedom to redeem them whenever the timing is right. Schools earn Partner Credits through their book fair rewards and can continue accumulating credits through the year-round Literati Store.
To make Partner Credits even more valuable, Literati has developed partnerships with a variety of library and educational companies. As the partner network continues to grow, schools gain access to an expanding range of products, services, and learning opportunities.
Let's take a closer look at the Literati Partners!
It's so exciting that Mrs. Nelson's Book Company and Bindery is one of Literati's partners.
Mrs. Nelson's Book Company provides schools with access to an extensive catalog of books from trade and school library publishers that include new releases, best sellers, and classics as well as discounted textbooks and workbooks. Mrs. Nelson's exclusive Readerbound editions, crafted in their own bindery, deliver durable, reinforced bindings with a Lifetime Guarantee, perfect for long-term classroom and library use.
I love that Capstone is one of Literati’s Partners. Capstone offers high-quality books, literacy programs, and digital learning resources that are used in elementary schools and libraries across the country.
By redeeming Partner Credits with Capstone, schools can invest in educational content designed to inspire curiosity, strengthen reading skills, and support classroom instruction.
Ozobot is another wonderful Literati Partner. Designed for students in PreK–12, Ozobot combines coding and robotics with both screen-free and app-based learning experiences that help build creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and STEM skills.
Schools can redeem their Partner Credits for Ozobot gift card codes. These codes can be used to purchase robotics kits, coding tools, and other hands-on learning resources that support STEM and computer science education.
We are huge fans of Novel Effect at my school. We use Novel Effect in the library and classrooms, and even have a Novel Effect pop-up library as part of our collection.
Novel Effect transforms read-alouds into interactive experiences with music and sound effects that respond to the reader’s voice. It creates fun and memorable read alouds for all ages. For schools looking for a new way to spark excitement around reading, Novel Effect is a fantastic option.
Melon Rind specializes in interactive math games for elementary-aged students. Their products combine learning and play, helping students develop mathematical thinking while engaging in collaborative activities. Melon Rind is a great choice for schools looking to strengthen STEM learning.
As you can see, Literati Rewards Partners offer something special for every library and school.
For details about earning and redeeming Partner Credits including current redemption options and conversion rates, be sure to review Literati’s Partner Credit resources here.
At its best, a school book fair does more than raise funds. It creates opportunities. Literati’s flexible rewards program gives schools the freedom to turn book fair success into the resources they need most, whether that’s growing the school library and classroom libraries, supporting school-wide initiatives, or investing in tools that help students learn and thrive.
With options including book profits, cash rewards, Partner Credits, or a combination of all three, schools can choose the path that delivers the greatest impact for their community. As Literati continues to expand its network of partners, those opportunities will only continue to grow.
Because when every book fair is designed to support literacy and learning, the benefits extend far beyond the event itself, helping students, educators, and schools succeed throughout the year.
And at the heart of it all, there’s nothing better than seeing a student light up over a book they can’t wait to take home.
You can learn even more about Literati Book Fairs and book fair rewards here.
