Mary Etta and her big sister Lucy spend time in their family’s business Spring Hill Nursery in Mount Shasta, which includes a little library for all to enjoy.
Take a Book
“Take a book, share a book” is the guiding motto for Little Free Library, the world’s largest book-sharing movement. In communities from Iceland to Australia to America, Little Free Libraries have been popping up for a decade in refurbished phone booths and creative new builds modeled after everything from a one-room schoolhouse to a whimsical Dr. Seuss house. These libraries give community members access to books at no cost, and that includes books for children and books for grown-ups.
The first Little Free Library was created in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, WI in memory of his book-loving schoolteacher mom. He installed the little red schoolhouse full of books in his front yard. Bol said, “I really believe in a Little Free Library on every block and book in every hand. I believe people can fix their neighborhoods, fix their communities, develop systems of sharing, learn from each other, and see that they have a better place on this planet to live.”
Bol’s vision for inspiring readers and building community resulted in the formation of the Little Free Library 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2012. Little Free Library is committed to ensuring there is no scarcity of books for anyone and there are now over 80,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 91 countries worldwide. Little Free Library book exchanges may be found in a neighbor’s yard, on college campuses, at playgrounds, and hosted by businesses and organizations. There is no limit to the books that residents can borrow, and they can also leave a donation of gently used books
Access to books supports literacy skills at all ages and at all levels, and growing literacy skills increase the academic success of students from preschool to college. The abundance of books available through these Libraries can help open the door to children and youth learning to read, reading to learn, and reading for pleasure for a lifetime. Little Free Libraries are making sure books are available when families can’t quite afford them or simply for people who need more books to read!
Don’t be surprised to see Little Free Libraries starting to populate upper Northern California. They’re being hosted by individuals and businesses throughout Shasta County and new exchanges can be found in Siskiyou County. Sandi and Tim Belton, owners of Spring Hill Nursery in Mt. Shasta, CA, love the way their Little Free Library greets customers. Nestled amongst plants and flowers at the nursery entrance, it reminds each visitor of the importance of reading and the valuable way books are being plucked from private bookshelves and shared with the world.
Do you want to help inspire a love of reading and get a Little Free Library going in your community? A good place to begin is the official Little Free Library website. Learn how individuals and groups can get involved, get tips on starting a library, obtaining books, and even access library building and installation plans!
Posted in: Education
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