The Reading Room
“When we think about the arts, we often think of the visual arts, theatre, and music. However, the literary arts serve a critical role in arts culture and can stand alone or supplement other art forms. Books about music, dance, and visual art are often the catalyst for inspiration in other art forms. Books have the power to make you feel seen, transport you to new worlds, and inspire you to change your own. A great author talk can fundamentally change a person’s perspective about their community. Writer’s workshops, poetry readings, and book clubs all bring people together to exchange ideas. Storytelling is one of our oldest art forms.”
"Books are magic. They allow us to see ourselves and others in new ways, discover new worlds, and inspire us to change our own. At The Reading Room, our goal is for kids to have the freedom to choose the books that interest them, find their voices, and tell their own stories."
-Nina Lundstrom, Executive Director, Maria's Literary Foundation
about the Reading Room:
The Reading Room is a free youth bookshop and creative gathering space.
During operating hours, it is a welcoming place for youth in Durango to get free new books, gather, read and discuss books together, write, and create art. There are lots of squashy chairs, typewriters, writing supplies, and prompts, along with wonderful volunteers with arts and writing expertise.
The Reading Room is stocked with books in English and Spanish, and books featuring LGBTQ and BIPOC authors carefully curated by the Children’s Buyer at Maria’s Bookshop. They have a selection of YA, middle grade, and children’s books in multiple languages that feature disabled, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC authors that represent a diversity of thoughts and experiences. “Our goal is to provide a welcoming space to all of Durango’s youth by highlighting diverse perspectives, providing a selection of new books for free to folks who might not otherwise be able to afford them, and building a space where all young people can find comfort, safety, and creativity after school.”
Outside of regular operating hours, the Reading Room has been used for author talks, poetry readings, live music, and collaborations between nonprofit arts and education organizations. Manna has partnered with Maria’s Literary Foundation to create a book club for formerly incarcerated folks re-entering the community. They have planned to collaborate with other nonprofit organizations like Compañeros to host Spanish-language literature and literacy nights. Oak Tree Youth Services plans to add The Reading Room to its list of resources for unhoused youth. Groups like these can use the free gathering space to build community and find support.
There have been poetry workshops in collaboration with The Hive and Fort Lewis, book clubs with Manna and The Powerhouse, summer camps with Seed Studio, author events in collaboration with Maria’s Bookshop, live music, and Spanish language literature nights. Through partnerships with other nonprofits and local businesses like Maria’s Bookshop, they have built a collaborative space that celebrates our whole community and allows the creative economy to thrive.
"The Reading Room is probably one of my daughter's favorite places on the planet."
-Parent of a Reading Room Regular
A success story:
The Reading Room has become one of the largest and most well-known programs of Maria's Literary Foundation. With support from the LTAC Grant, they have created a welcoming space for kids and teenagers in our community to connect with their peers, make art, and discover a love of reading. The Reading Room opened in February 2025, and as of November 2025, they have welcomed nearly 2,500 visitors to the space. Many of those visitors have gone home with a new (free!) book they were excited to read, or participated in one of our events or workshops. This year, they held poetry workshops, creative writing and illustration workshops, book clubs, open mic nights, summer camps, and yoga classes, all for free. It has become a beloved home away from home for many kids in the community, some of whom are using public transportation by themselves for the first time to get from school to The Reading Room. Parents and caregivers often share, "We really needed something like this," or "This is my kid's favorite place".
“We created The Reading Room because there was a clear need in the community for third places for kids, away from home and school, where they could be in community and off their screens. We also wanted to fill a gap in affordable after-school and summer programming. We achieved both of these goals. We have many regular visitors who use The Reading Room to hang out with their friends or just curl up with a good book, but we also host weekly summer writing workshops, monthly poetry nights, after-school book clubs, and classes specifically designed to fill the gap in after-school and summer programming. We have also created connections with many community partners through programs at The Reading Room, including Seed Studio, Durango 9R classrooms, Mountain Middle School, the Durango Creative District, and Fort Lewis College. This program has provided a wonderful opportunity for collaboration between nonprofits, businesses, and educators in the community.”
Maria’s Literary Foundation received LATC funding to gain initial funding for The Reading Room, a creative community space for reading, writing, and art inspired by books. The Reading Room is open daily as a welcoming space for the youth of Durango to gather, write, read, record poetry, and create art. Kids can purchase books with a poem, a piece of art, or a good deed. Outside of regular open hours, the space is used for collaborations with other nonprofits, author events, workshops for folks of all ages and demographics, poetry and book readings, and literacy education.
Funding went towards an initial buy of 125 books, plus 48 books a month to restock the shelves, alongside rent for two months, and support for initial collaborations, programs, and events.