BookBank Survey Results January 13 2026

BookBank of Waldorf Publications (WP) at the Research Institute for Waldorf Education (RIWE)

It has been a delight to collate and summarize the returns on the BookBank survey sent earlier this year to all AWSNA Member Waldorf Schools. WP is not in the business of surveying its participants, making this undertaking an entry into an unexplored field. Also, WP is in the vanguard of Waldorf education  only in the sense that, as a  support organization designed by  AWSNA delegates in 1987, it produces professionally prepared, reliably authentic materials for Waldorf teachers, schools, and communities. For this survey — a new venture for WP — we thank you in advance for your responses and suggestions.

Unlike teachers and school personnel grappling with the urgent work of protecting and educating the young, WP acts as an agent, a “clearing house” of reliable information and research in support of the Waldorf approach and the Waldorf curriculum. WP is not on the frontlines the way Waldorf schools are. At WP we do not field concerns of parents or pressing needs for information about a topic in the curriculum or pressure from the local health department about vaccination rates, as examples. Stepping in to the active world of schools to ask for reactions seemed an unlikely thing. Moreover, WP sent the survey during the month of May. We at WP wondered if anyone would be able to respond at all, given the fact that once the May pole is completed, the end of the year unravels in field trips, camping expeditions, class plays, pentathlons, Medieval Games, and panic in the hearts of teachers realizing all that is still needing to be covered in class before the end of the academic year. 

We expected the worst, considering the turbulent climate of the publishing industry, with giants like Ingram and KDP/Amazon to gobbling up or simply shutting down small publishers. “Books are an outdated form of information sharing,” and “The younger generations don’t read,” and “How quaint and charming that you still publish books!” are common reactions we hear  to our publishing efforts from voices in the publishing sector.

Despite these adverse realities, the returns to our Waldorf schools survey were hearteningly robust. In a movement of about 140 schools, WP received over 110 thoughtfully filled-out surveys. All at RIWE were enthusiastically grateful to those who could manage school time to complete the survey. This by itself was a sign of their interest and engagement. The responses were equally encouraging in that many reported valuing the work of Waldorf Publications as a resource for teachers, schools, parents, and communities. Also, in discussion with a Task Force mandated by the RIWE Board of Trustees to re-imagine the future of RIWE, OWL, the Research Bulletin, and WP, one of the strongest proponents of “people no longer read” was “come-uppanced” by a young nephew who instructed us never to give up on books because  if and when “the plug gets pulled” on electronic media, we will gladly turn to paper books once more.

There were also balancing voices among the survey respondents bringing valuable alternative points of view. There were those who asked for “posters,” one who felt that WP wasn’t worth it, and one other who felt that information about the books we publish is remote to most in his or her school.

One idea we offered in the survey got a significant positive reaction: namely, to consider not sending books in the BookBank mailings, but instead to send information sheets on all new publications. This would save on shipping and would leave all the BookBank money invested in the BookBank free for a school’s choosing, and would not be depleted by the current practice of automatically sending one copy of each new publication. We intend to make this spring’s BookBank mailing the last while we experiment with this new idea.

Shipping costs in recent months have increased dramatically as well, and this alternative approach would ensure that shipping costs would go to those books truly wanted. The shipping costs in Canada, along with their struggles with wildcat strikes and negotiations, have made us examine creative solutions to the moving of books from our warehouse to you. WP will continue to explore ideas to save money for schools while still pursuing high-caliber publications, enrollment materials, and science kits for the Waldorf movement. 

Meanwhile, the BookBank survey intensified our sense of deep gratitude for the opportunity to do this work in keeping solid resources as underpinnings for the Waldorf curriculum and teaching. The support through the BookBank, which Waldorf schools provide and AWSNA supports, makes an enormous difference in our ability to continue. That the survey echoes that support beyond the annual BookBank fee was a bolstering we were not expecting. Thank you, all of you who keep our schools open and sustained in the commitment of Waldorf teachers to forge the future one young human being at a time! 

The following data gathered through the survey are presented to you in their original form, with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake, enhanced by the good graphic work of Andrew Starzynski, teacher at the Toronto Waldorf School. We are grateful to Andrew as well. His gifts as a math teacher as well as his gifts in graphic arts pay good tribute to his own Waldorf education!

Please know that this report can be downloaded here as a PDF.

Please also note that our ears are open to any suggestions, especially about fruitful topics for books, from all of you, our community.

Survey Q#1, membership levels with AWSNA:

Q#2, My position in my school is:

Q#3, How aware are you of the BookBank system?

Q#4, My reaction to WP and the BookBank system: 

Q#5, If you chose selections #4 or 5, can you explain?

Q#6, How familiar are you with the titles WP publishes?

Q#7, What other topics do you wish Waldorf Publications would consider in books?  Please list all topics or points of the curriculum, enrollment, or other that apply.

Responses to this question did not lend themselves to graph forms.
There were very few repeated suggestions except for:

• History; and
• High School materials. 

Aware of the need for high school materials, WP recently published two life science books (grades 9 & 10; and Grades 11 & 12) by Michael Holdrege and a book on the Italian Renaissance by Ernst Uehli. We are also publishing in book form the High School, Colloquia on different subjects featured by the Research Institute (RIWE) in the late 1990s and early years of this century. Rich with helpful suggestions, these books are available now on the Online Waldorf Library (OWL) www.waldorflibrary.org for free download. 

Requests included:

• more books in Spanish ( (Check the OWL for these);
• more EC books (which are done by WECAN);
• research on child development;
• more French books for Canada; stories, fables,
• songs from other countries;
• topics related to current-day issues and challenges in Waldorf schools.
• Perspectives and ideas from authors of color who have been involved with Waldorf education;
• more books directed at parents;
• updated publications for enrollment purposes;
• DEI topics;
• agricultural science;
• marital fulfillment;
• general knowledge about Waldorf education;
• curriculum;
• story books;
• fantasy;
• faith;
• technology;
• mathematics;
• animals;
• transgender rights;
• environmental causes;
• books on integrity and honesty. 

There were 8 comments about the good quality of the books we already publish.

Q#8, The contents of books offered to schools by WP are:

(sliding scale) Not useful/no opinion — don’t know — relevant and useful. Again, this was not available to post in graph form: the majority fell in the middle of this sliding scale. There were 57 responses that ranged from 0 to 57 and majority positive.

Q#9, The BookBank system is: 
(agree or disagree — and also not conducive to graphing):

• An important resource  — 83% agreed; 17% disagreed
• A point of pride in the caliber of the resources provided — 48% agreed; 52% disagreed
• A thing of the past with the internet and eBooks — 54% agreed; 46% disagreed
• Nice but not necessary — 52% agreed; 48% disagreed
• Unnecessary — 19% agreed; 81% disagreed
  

Q#10, Please explain you answer to the previous question (optional)

Some expressed positive sentiments, but one participant expressed frustration that not all the books mentioned  on WP’s web site are available for BookBank purposes. (This is because WP purchases some titles from other publishers, and cannot afford to then resell them at a 25% discount without losing money on them.) One expressed distress that we do not engage more with authors from other countries, limiting ourselves  only  to English speaking authors. However, we do offer a considerable number of translations from German––Nana Goebel’s history of the Waldorf movement in two volume for example, or Jost Schieren’s A Handbook of Research on Waldorf Pedagogy––or several books translated from the Dutch by Frans Lutters, as well as myriad books and articles in Spanish available on the OWL for free download.

Q#11, Customer service at WP and for the Book Bank is:

Q#12, Comments on customer service (optional):

There were 9 comments about quick turn around in shipping; 4 comments about how great it is to work with Anamyn (in our office — she handles school orders), and one comment wishing for better promotions. (Sarah in our office is working on these and we hope to improve in this area.) Many more simply wrote that they have no experience in this aspect of WP’s operations.

Q#13, Reactions to receiving one copy of each new book:

Q#14, Our school would like the BookBank system:

Q#15, Reactions to the continuation of the BookBank:

There were several comments we read with interest.

- 8 or 9 comments were remarkably positive. (“Amazing job.” “Keep the books because we can always find good information there.” “It’s a wonderful initiative.” As a few examples.  Thank you!)

-One school has no space for a library and the small space they have is not used (French selections in this one).

-Frustration expressed again that not all the books on our site are available for the BookBank discount. BookBank funds can be used on books not our own, but WP loses money on books that are not ours, and so the discount isn’t possible.

Here’s the line up of responses in percentages compiled by Survey Monkey

• • Positive: 14%
  • Neutral: 64%
  • Negative: 7%
  • Undetected: 14%
    
    

The BookBank grew from an original mandate in 1987 from the Delegates of AWSNA to produce professionally prepared materials (and to stop the circulation of  blurry mimeographed sheets!). It was calculated that if each Waldorf  school promised to purchase 5 copies of each new book published, this mandate could be realized. In the late 1990s the position of “Publications Chair” was made full time. In 2013, the publications arm of AWSNA was given over to the Research Institute for Waldorf Education (RIWE) and the BookBank system was inaugurated to eliminate the burden of purchasing five copies of each book. 

Please note that after a final mailing of books in spring of 2026, WP will instead start sending information sheets about each book to ensure that schools can see what WP is producing on their behalf. Please note as well, that the support from Waldorf schools for WP is deeply appreciated and a point of pride for all at WP and RIWE.  Without the support from the BookBank, WP could not continue. 

Enormous gratitude is being sent your way from all at RIWE and WP: first, for the work you do for children and through them for the future of humanity; second, for your participation in our survey at such a busy time of year; third, for your support through the BookBank; fourth, for many ineffable and magical things that are possible because of teachers who make Waldorf education a reality!

With warm appreciation from all at Waldorf Publications,

Director of Publications and Development
Research Institute for Waldorf Education