Lynchburg’s Little Free Libraries Offer A Small Space For Community Literacy
Two out of three children living in poverty do not have access to books, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The Little Free Library organization aims to change this by providing communities with unlimited access to books through its libraries. The organization believes children will be encouraged to read if books are in or near their home.
Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization seeking to strengthen communities through sharing books, encourages community members to take and share books, according to its website. The Little Free Libraries are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. All books inside are free.
The city of Lynchburg is home to nine chartered Little Free Libraries, according to the organization’s map. Each one is unique and represents the organization’s mission to connect readers with free reading resources. Each Little Free Library runs off of the motto that if you take a book, you have to share a book.
WoodmenLife, a local insurance company, shares the story of its Little Free Library and what it means for the Lynchburg community.
The Lynchburg WoodmenLife branch built its Little Free Library at its office on Wards Ferry Road nearly five years ago and has seen many positive outcomes for the people of Lynchburg, especially those young in age.
Kim Steger, a representative for the Lynchburg WoodmenLife branch, serves as president of Chapter 7 of the Little Free Libraries organization. The mission of the Little Free Library organization is close to her heart.
“I am passionate about this project because I have children, and my youngest was an avid reader,” Steger said. “She loved to read. She read all the time. She was in third grade when she found her passion for reading.”
Every time Steger’s family would take a trip out of town, they would stop at a Little Free Library at their destination. This sparked her idea to build a library outside of WoodmenLife’s office.
These wooden boxes offer more than just a home for books, and the process of designing these boxes can be a unique opportunity to share creativity. Steger took advantage of this creative freedom to adorn her library with art her community would find meaningful.
A hand-painted American flag by Tom Wyckoff decorates each side of the wooden box, and handprints on the inside of the box tell an empowering story about community.
The T.C. Miller Elementary School in Lynchburg suffered a flood in 2015 that damaged its library and all of its art supplies. Teachers lost many of their books to water damage and mold. WoodmenLife partnered with the school and decided to replace its books and art supplies.
This created a friendship between WoodmenLife and T.C. Miller Elementary, so the company invited the students to participate in the artwork portion of the Free Little Library. Their handprints now adorn the inside of the Little Free Library.
“The children really enjoyed it,” Steger said. “They just had so much fun.”
Any person or organization can create a Little Free Library for their community. However, to legally use the trademarked name “Little Free Library,” builders must include an official charter name and number on the box. A plaque with these details can be purchased for a one-time cost of $40, according to its website.
The organization doesn’t enforce any rules about what the box has to look like. Builders can be as creative as they wish. The organization recommends sizing the box at 22” wide by 18” deep or larger to accommodate the unique size of children’s books.
To learn more about Little Free Libraries, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org. A map of Little Free Library locations can be found at www.littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap.
And don’t forget: if you take a book, share a book too.
Ferree is a feature reporter.