Round House Paper, LLC, a company that makes reading representative, relatable, and fun for little readers, today announced the Local Government Purchasing Cooperative and The National Purchasing Cooperative (National Cooperative) Contract Award has awarded the company a BuyBoard® contract based on Proposal No. 702-23 for Library Books, Used Textbooks, and Other Books. The contract is effective for an initial one-year term of June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.
“We are thrilled to be awarded this contract,” said Nicole Lightbourne, CEO of Round House Paper. “This is a major step forward for our company and will allow us to reach more children and families across the state of Texas with our books. We are committed to providing high-quality, affordable books that represent the diversity of our world, and we believe this contract will help us achieve that goal.”
Round House Paper was founded in November 2020 by Lightbourne who recognized the imperative to decrease reading level disparities within BIPOC communities and increase representation associated with reading during early, formative years. The company’s books are designed to be both engaging and educational, and they feature characters from a variety of backgrounds.
In addition to its book publishing business, Round House Paper also created an annual grant for Texas-based teachers to use to reinvest into their classrooms. The grant, which is funded by a percentage of the company’s proceeds, has awarded $1,000 to teachers in need since its inception.
“We are committed to giving back to the community and supporting teachers who are working hard to make a difference in the lives of their students,” said Lightbourne. “We believe that access to books is essential for a child’s success, and we are proud to be able to help make that happen."