BookSmiles opened a 14,000-square-foot book bank at 100 Melrose Ave. in Cherry Hill on Monday, Sept. 28. The new facility triples the nonprofit's warehouse space as it aims to distribute up to five million children's books a year.

Camden County Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich joined founder and Executive Director Larry Abrams, other elected officials and community partners for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a Camden County press release. Bianco Bezich called the facility "an incredible resource for our region" and said it would help bring more books to children and teachers who need them.

The new space sits across from the PATCO Woodcrest station off I-295. It replaces a 4,300-square-foot facility in Pennsauken. Abrams, a Cherry Hill native and third-generation teacher, started BookSmiles out of his garage in 2017 after watching ninth-graders in Lindenwold read at a third- or fourth-grade level. He attributed the gap to a lack of book access, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The organization has donated more than five million books since 2017, according to Camden County. In 2025 alone, BookSmiles sent roughly 500,000 books to Philadelphia schools, another 500,000 to New Jersey schools and about 250,000 overseas, the Inquirer reported.

"We're sitting on a rocket ship," Abrams told the Inquirer on Aug. 29, standing inside the same warehouse weeks before the formal opening.

A team of 11 staffers and a growing corps of volunteers sorts every donation that comes through the door. BookSmiles trades adult titles and outdated textbooks for pallets of gently used children's books, which go directly to teachers, daycares and other nonprofits.

Two programs anchor the distribution. Through Teacher Take, educators pay $35 a year and can pick up hundreds of books multiple times a year for classroom libraries or to send home with students. Fair Book Fairs bring free books to schools: every child takes home at least three, and schools serving mostly low-income students pay just $200 for a fair.

The book bank is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Collection bins sit outside the building around the clock for after-hours donations. Residents can volunteer or make financial contributions by calling 856-661-7480 or visiting booksmiles.org.