World Book Night in the U.S. has a goal of giving away a million free paperbacks in one day: April 23, 2012. 50,000 volunteers are being enlisted to each take 20 copies of a book they love out into the community, seeking out light or non-readers in a variety of places: diners, hospitals, malls, schools... To participate, volunteers can apply at www.worldbooknight.org.

A panel of librarians, B&N buyers, and indie booksellers chose 30 titles representing a range of fiction and non-fiction, some YA and genre. Publishers have put up funds to cover some of the costs; the authors of the 30 books are forgoing royalties; Ingram is handling all the shipping; printers and mills are offering materials and services to print the books; and Barnes & Noble, the ABA, ALA, AAP, and Authors Guild are all involved. “I expect that many, many booksellers, librarians, and authors themselves will be book givers as well,” says Carl Lennertz of World Book Night.

The first World Book Night was held in the UK last year, and it was such a big success that it's spreading around the world.

To read more about World Book Night and to apply, visit www.worldbooknight.org