CENTER — Last Wednesday Center Schools became one of over 60,000 free little libraries in the world, establishing a separate “little library” outside the entrance to Fyock Library at the school. Two more little libraries will be set up in the Center area in the coming months.

According to its website, “Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.”

The Center Branch of the Literacy Committee, set up last September, has been working on the project for the last few months. Students from kindergarten through grade three attended the library opening and placed books inside the little library. The idea is to “take a book, then put a book back,” those attending the ceremony explained.

Center Schools Superintendent Chris Vance opened the ceremony to establish the little library, commenting, “This is a wonderful opportunity. Thanks to everyone who has taken part in this.”

“This is part of community engagement — promoting literacy and a love for reading,” Azeneth Heredia, local program specialist for Save the Children, told those gathered for the little library opening. “Research shows one of the most successful ways to improve reading achievement for children is to increase their access to books.”

Center High School students constructed the little library under the supervision of trades instructor Mark Jones. The Little Free Library staff offers free building instructions online, library kits and pre-built library models on its website. The site also provides other online resources and ongoing support, including access to free or discounted books through its partners.

Benefit for low-income families

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the little library website reports, up to 61 percent of low-income families do not have any books children to read at home, and Center has been identified as one of the poorest school districts in the state. Little Free Libraries help provide access to books 24/7, providing a ready selection of books for children wherever the libraries are located.

The organization maintains a world map of registered Little Free Libraries and donate Little Free Libraries through its impact program (https://littlefreelibrary.org).    

Great Nonprofits recently named Little Free Libraries one of its top non-profit organizations. The group also has won many other awards for its literacy promotion, including the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize, Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers Award, the Women’s National Book Association’s Second Century Prize and the Library of Congress Literacy Award.

Little Free Libraries history

According to the Little Free Libraries website, Todd H. Bol designed and built the first Little Free Library at his home in Hudson, Wis. In 2009. In 2010, Bol gave away 30 Little Free Libraries to friends and family and had a vision for accelerated expansion after watching them multiply.

By 2011, additional builders joined Little Free Library to assist in the growing demand and in 2012 the little library became a 501(c)(3) Wisconsin nonprofit organization.  

In 2017, the Little Free Library launched the Action Book Club, an initiative that combines reading with positive community action. Today there are 60,000 Little Free Libraries in all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide