Oliver’s Giving Library

Oliver’s Giving Library Oliver’s Giving Library donates books to families in Lurie Children’s NICU in Chicago. Since August 2023, thousands of books have been shared. 📚

Each book is gifted for families to take home, bringing comfort during their NICU journey.

Zoe, with her mom Cassie, reading a book that was once given to them in the NICU.If you look closely—you can see the sti...
04/27/2026

Zoe, with her mom Cassie, reading a book that was once given to them in the NICU.

If you look closely—you can see the sticker on the back.

A small detail, but it means everything.

Because that book wasn’t just a story.
It was comfort.
A distraction.
A moment of normal in a place that doesn’t feel normal at all.

And now, it’s still being read. Still being loved. At home.





In the NICU, you look for anything that feels like connection.For us, it was reading to Oliver.Something smallthat turns...
04/17/2026

In the NICU, you look for anything that feels like connection.

For us, it was reading to Oliver.

Something small
that turns out to matter more than you think.

That’s why Oliver’s Giving Library exists.





Carroll’s name was spoken over the moon.A NICU nurse—and the late wife of astronaut Reid Wiseman—whose life was spent ca...
04/09/2026

Carroll’s name was spoken over the moon.

A NICU nurse—and the late wife of astronaut Reid Wiseman—whose life was spent caring for the smallest babies and the families who loved them. A lunar crater was recently named in her honor.

For those of us who have been in the NICU, that kind of care never really leaves you.

We felt it in Oliver’s nurses, Heather and Julianna, in the way they cared for him, and carried us through the hardest days.

Some nurses are with you for a moment.
But what they give stays for a lifetime.

Tonight feels like a reminder
that love like that doesn’t disappear.

It stays.
It watches over.
It becomes part of your story





The first books for Zoe’s drive have started to arrive.It always begins this way—quietly, with just a few—and then becom...
04/08/2026

The first books for Zoe’s drive have started to arrive.

It always begins this way—quietly, with just a few—
and then becomes something much bigger.

Thank you for being part of it from the very beginning.





Because of Macen 🤍This community showed up in the most incredible way—books, support, and kindness sent to families who ...
04/01/2026

Because of Macen 🤍

This community showed up in the most incredible way—books, support, and kindness sent to families who need it most.

As we wrap up Macen’s book drive for the month of March, we’re so thankful for every single person who was part of it.

Because of you, NICU families will have stories to hold onto during some of their hardest days 🤍





Easter can be full of so many little things…but for some families, it’s about finding ways to feel close at all.Macen’s ...
03/28/2026

Easter can be full of so many little things…
but for some families, it’s about finding ways to feel close at all.

Macen’s story started in the NICU, where connection doesn’t always look the way you expect.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as reading.
Hearing your voice becomes how you hold them.

This month, his birthday is giving that same connection to other families.

Every book donated helps create that moment for someone else.

Even in the NICU, your voice matters.Reading supports early brain development, helps regulate babies’ bodies, and create...
03/24/2026

Even in the NICU, your voice matters.

Reading supports early brain development, helps regulate babies’ bodies, and creates connection, long before they can be held.

That’s why Oliver’s Giving Library exists 🤍

Supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and NICU developmental research.

Some stories stay with you forever. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those books — simple, comforting, and full of ...
03/21/2026

Some stories stay with you forever.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those books — simple, comforting, and full of growth.

It felt like the perfect day to share it.

In the NICU, books like this become more than just stories.

They become moments of connection, normalcy, and hope in a place that can feel anything but.

A reminder that even the smallest beginnings can grow into something so much bigger.





Sometimes in the NICU, parents can’t hold their babies.So they sit beside incubators.They watch. They wait. They hope.An...
03/08/2026

Sometimes in the NICU, parents can’t hold their babies.

So they sit beside incubators.
They watch. They wait. They hope.

And sometimes, they read.

Reading becomes a way to connect — a voice babies can hear even when arms can’t hold them.

Macen was born at 3 lbs 8 oz, and during those early NICU days, reading stories became an important way his family stayed close to him.

Today, Macen is growing, playing, and filling his world with stories.

Each year for his birthday, his family gives back by collecting books for babies and families currently in the NICU at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Holly shared this about their tradition:

“The smallest patients at Lurie’s need books too! Macen was born at just 3 lbs 8 oz and because we were unable to hold him more than a handful of times in his first months, reading to him was so important. We are collecting books again for Oliver’s Giving Library for Macen’s birthday. Please help us donate as many books as possible to the smallest patients.”

If you’d like to help send books to NICU families, you can donate through the link in our bio.

Because every baby deserves a story. 📚🤍





Sometimes the most special stories come from right here in our own community.These two wonderful books were written by C...
03/04/2026

Sometimes the most special stories come from right here in our own community.

These two wonderful books were written by Chicago authors Jill Drury and her son, Jack Drury,
a mother and son sharing their creativity and love of storytelling.

Jack wrote Elevated Adventures at just nine years old, which makes this donation even more inspiring. Seeing a young author bring a story to life — and then share it with other children — is incredibly meaningful.

Thank you to Jill and Jack for donating these books to Oliver’s Giving Library so they can bring comfort and imagination to families at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Books have a way of making long hospital days feel a little lighter. And it’s extra special when those stories come from right here in Chicago.

We’re so grateful to share your stories with other families. 🤍

Address

225 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL
60611

Website

https://linktr.ee/Oliversgivinglibrary

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