Little Free Library (LFL), a non-profit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, granted a Little Free Library to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Child Development Center (CDC) about two years ago. The Little Free Library has since received generous book donations from various groups of people, including parents and students at UL Lafayette.
According to LFL’s website, the organization’s mission is “to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes.”
LFL grants no-cost Little Free Libraries, which are book-exchange boxes, to under-served urban, suburban, rural and Indigenous communities. Little Free Libraries are open all week, 24 hours a day and are freely accessible to all, removing barriers to book access.
LFL aims to equip, educate and guide volunteer stewards to establish Little Free Libraries in their communities. The organization also collaborates with schools, public libraries, civic organizations, businesses and other groups to bring Little Free Libraries to their communities.
The CDC, located on East Lewis Street and across from the Cottages at Cajun Village, provides childcare and preschool services for the children of students, faculty and staff of the University.
Placed beside the entrance of the CDC, The Little Free Library has an appearance similar to a mailbox, perched on a short wooden pole. Shortly after it was first placed there, the box had to be refurbished by a family as it became weathered. With the family’s help, the Little Free Library now has a sturdier roof and door latch, and its inner walls decorated with contact paper.
The Little Free Library essentially serves as a way to ensure that there is book access for all. This especially helps the families living in the Cottages at Cajun Village. Kiristy Joseph, health and safety coordinator at the CDC, said, “Some of them may not have transportation to have access to books.” She added, “With the Little Library right there, it gives them access to books that they can read with their children.”
Besides those families, other parents of children enrolled in the CDC may also pick up books at their convenience. The books are also for anyone else who simply wishes to read but may not have the means to do so. Joseph said, “The library is for people to enjoy the books, for people that love to read.”
Books supplied to the Little Free Library are purely by donations, and anyone is welcome to drop off either used or new books of various genres. Thus far, book donations have been made by mainly students and parents.
Joseph mentioned that they recently sent out more requests for donations. She shared, “One of our teachers, she’s given her students extra points for donating books, so we’ve been having a really large influx of books lately.” Among the books donated, there have been a variety of genres, including children’s storybooks, young-adult fiction, used textbooks and more.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the CDC wished to express their thanks to those who have been generous in donating books. On behalf of the CDC, Joseph said, “We just want to say how appreciative that we are of the books that we’ve gotten thus far.”
While there have been more donations as of late, the CDC is still actively encouraging for books to be donated. Those who have books that they do not read or have no use of anymore are encouraged to drop them off at the Little Free Library instead of discarding them.
Books may not seem like a privilege to those who have more fortunate home circumstances, however, for many who are living at or below the poverty line, their homes may not have any books at all. Little Free Libraries play an essential role in ensuring that there is equal access to books for all.
Access to books is crucial in improving literacy. For children, books are important resources for them to learn and grow their love for reading. Joseph expressed that reading is essential for children’s learning. “With children, a lot of it is repetition, so the more that you repeat, the more that they learn and pick up on,” she said.
To foster reading in the community, those who may be more fortunate to have easy access to books are encouraged to share them by donating to the Little Free Library. By having books made readily and equally available to all, anyone who wishes to read may read without being hindered by the barrier of not having access to books.