San Francisco Mayor London Breed signed into law legislation that will make books on addiction recovery free of charge at all city libraries, making it the first city in the country to fund universal access of free-to-keep literature related to all recovery traditions.
The program, called “Read to Recovery,” will provide books on healing from substance abuse for free to anyone at all San Francisco library branches even if they don’t have a library card. These books include Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step “Big Book” and publications on Recovery Dharma and Narcotics Anonymous.
Breed joined District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, city librarians and members of San Francisco’s recovery community at the Castro Country Club to celebrate the signing and discuss the importance of the legislation in making it easier for people to access recovery-related literature. The Club is a sober gathering space that hosts more than 40 recovery-focused meetings a week.
“For folks that are struggling and find respite in places like the public library, it is immensely powerful for folks to have access to communication and materials that may be the thing that sparks the fire in them wanting to find recovery,” said Castro Country Club executive director Billy Lemon.
Dorsey, a recovering alcoholic and addict himself, proposed the legislation in February. The pilot program began in April 2023 when the city’s main library and two other branches began providing free literature on how to heal from substance abuse.
City librarians originally came up with the idea after seeing how the most stolen books were ones related to recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.
“It opens up the doors for the libraries, for people to be able to go in and get them so they don’t have to steal the books anymore and be able to just have the books in their hands,” said Cedric Akbar, a member on the executive committee of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee who has 32 years in addiction recovery. “It’s really trying to get help for yourself.”
The legislation is a small step in the broader path to expanding access to addiction treatment in San Francisco. But members of the city’s recovery community were moved to tears hoping that it could be a piece of the larger puzzle to solve the crisis of drug addiction and overdoses.
For Breed, substance abuse was “sadly a natural part” of her life as she saw drug and alcohol abuse take over the lives of her friends and family.
“It is something that some of you probably know I care deeply about,” she said. “Losing a sister to a drug overdose the day before she turned 26 and other family members who struggled and continue, even to this day, to struggle with addiction.”
Dorsey and members of the recovery community praised Breed for her commitment to helping people get better from substance use disorders. Breed appointed Dorsey to a vacancy on the Board of Supervisors in 2022 when he was in addiction recovery with 18 months of sobriety.
“I want everybody in San Francisco’s recovery community to know who gave us a seat at the table. London Breed gave the recovery community a seat at the table,” Dorsey said with tears welling in his eyes.
“It may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow, but the seed is planted if we can do that as a community and as a city and make access to materials easier,” Lemon said.
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