2026 Book Giveaway Committee
Contents
Potential Donors to Contact
| Donor | Contacted By | Contacted On | Response | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Reilly & Assoc. | support@oreilly.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | 2026-02-10 | 5-10 physical titled selected by O'Reilly + Ebooks (winner's choice) + 30-day platform trial for all attendees |
| Pragmatic Bookshelf | support@pragprog.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | 2026-01-26 | Offering DRM-free e-books as well as a conference-wide discount code |
| JetBrains | usergroups@jetbrains.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | ||
| Manning Publications | support@manning.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | ||
| No Starch Press | conferences@nostarch.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | ||
| Apress | editorial@apress.com | MBK | 2026-01-26 | ||
| MIT Press | raldrich@mit.edu | MBK | 2026-01-26 | ||
| Rosenfeld Media | info@rosenfeldmedia.com | Ranti | 2026-01-30 | 2026-02-05 | a discount on Rosenverse Gold tier subscriptions |
| Facet publishing | Crys | 2026-02-05 | 2026-02-05 | physical book : Lowagie’s AI-Powered Cataloguing (paperback) | |
| Minnesota University Press | Crys | 2026-02-05 | 2026-02-05 | About 7 physical books; information about Manifold, a publishing platform for open access ebooks. Flyers + promotional materials (bookmarks, flyers, maybe a mug or two). | |
| American Alliance of Museums Books | Crys | 2026-02-05 | |||
| Stanford University Press | Crys | 2026-02-05 | |||
| American Library Association | Crys | 2026-02-05 |
At the Conference
Prizes
- In past years, we've seeded a randomizer with a list of attendees' names. At the end of each session break / lunch break, before resuming, we'd draw 2-3 names and let them choose from the available prizes. With 2 breaks + lunch per day (minus one break on the last day), that usually means 16-20 things given away.
- This year, we expect 13-18 physical prizes to arrive at the conference hotel, with a number of digital offerings as well, listed in the above grid.
- O'Reilly and Pragmatic haven't put a limit on the number of e-book prizes we can give away, but we should try to keep it within reason for each.
- Their offerings are limited to e-books actually _published_ by each of them, which isn't necessarily everything they carry in their online stores.
- E-books are winner's choice. Winners' email addresses should be forwarded to me (MBK) so I can gather the selections and send them to the publishers so they can send out the codes.
Other Swag
- Some donors are also sending other "registration table swag" – buttons, stickers, bookmarks, etc. It's up to the organizers to decide how to distribute that stuff.
- O'Reilly is offering a 30-day platform trial to all code4lib attendees. I (MBK again) will send along the code as soon as I have it.
- Pragmatic has offered a 40% site-wide discount to all conference attendees.
- These are audio and e-books only, as PragProg does not actually sell print editions on their retail site.
- The code applies to the entire cart, not just a single item, and will be good for a few weeks following the conference.
- The only item not discounted is _The Pragmatic Programmer, 20th Anniversary Edition_ which, ironically, is the one title Pragmatic Bookshelf doesn't have the rights to and therefore cannot discount.
- I (still MBK) will share that code soon as well so it can be conveyed to participants during the conference.
Sample Request Email
Hello [Name / Team],
I’m writing on behalf of the book & resource giveaway committee for **code4lib**, an annual conference focused on libraries, technology, and open-source development. Our attendees are developers, librarians, system architects, and digital scholarship professionals working at the intersection of cultural heritage and modern infrastructure.
Each year, we host a free giveaway for attendees featuring technical books, professional resources, and software or service licenses. We’re reaching out to a small number of organizations whose work aligns closely with the interests of our community.
We would love to include a contribution from **[Organization Name]**, such as:
- print or digital books,
- access codes or licenses,
- training or certification vouchers,
- or other developer- or library-focused resources.
In return, donors are acknowledged on the conference website and signage at the giveaway table, and your contribution reaches a highly engaged audience of practitioners who actively recommend tools and resources within their institutions.
If this is something you’d consider, we’d be happy to share more details about the conference, audience demographics, or logistics. Thank you for your time—and for supporting the library and open-source community.
Best regards, [Your Name] Book & Resource Giveaway Committee code4lib Conference [contact email]
