Thanks to generous support from donors, ARI provides free copies of Ayn Rand’s works to teachers throughout the United States and Canada. Compared to the prior year, the 2014 – 15 school year marked a dramatic increase in books distributed. Nonfiction requests — including Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal and Philosophy: Who Needs It — reached an all-time high.

Free books distributed are up across the board. Here is how last year and this year compare:

2013/2014 Total Books Distributed:

Anthem: 202,107

We the Living: 1,063

The Fountainhead: 38,894

Atlas Shrugged: 36,898

TOTAL: 278,962

2014/2015 Total Books Distributed:

Anthem: 229,517

We the Living: 1,798

The Fountainhead: 51,182

Atlas Shrugged: 42,767

TOTAL: 325,264

Teacher participation in the free books program accomplishes two important goals of the Institute. First, it broadens student exposure to Rand and her ideas. Students have the opportunity to discuss the novels in a classroom environment with their teacher and peers. This helps establish Rand’s place among the great 20th-century writers worthy of classroom study.

Beyond that, student participation in ARI’s essay contests is directly tied to teachers ordering free books — the greater the number of free book requests, the more essay submissions ARI receives. This is significant because the essay contest allows students to go a layer deeper than classroom study. It requires thoughtful analysis of the novel’s themes and a concise explanation of the ideas within its pages. For many young people, it can be an entry point for learning about the principles of Objectivism. Therefore, the success of the free books program is a critical component to ARI’s commitment to cultivating awareness and acceptance of Rand’s philosophy.

To learn more about ARI’s free books program and other educational resources available, visit AynRand.org/educators today.