The Poulin Project was initially established by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) in honor of the late poet, editor, translator, and founder of BOA Editions Limited, a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit publisher dedicated to fostering diverse readerships. Since 2003, the Poulin Project has been administered by A.R.T. in collaboration with NYSCA.

All public institutions of learning in New York State are eligible to receive box sets of free books, and all independent literary publishers are invited to contribute books for distribution.

Each Poulin Project box set contains between 50 and 75 new, high quality books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction donated by independent presses in New York State and nationwide. Books are typically donated by 12 to 30 partnering publishers in any given year, and represent the range and variety of independent literary and nonfiction publishing. Whenever possible, we create two box sets, one targeted for readers in K-8th grade and a second one for readers in 8th Grade and above. Due to the variety of books that we receive from our generous publisher partners, however, it is not always possible to offer a box set suitable for younger readers every year.

To participate in the Poulin Project as a public institution, you can register your interest when signing up to our Library Program. Each year we distribute between 50 and 75 sets to participants who have requested them. We select participants on a first-come-first-served basis, prioritizing participants who have not received box sets in recent years.