They have been popping up all over the area over the last several years, and now the Town of Kendall has its own Little Free Library.
Kendall Jr./Sr. High School librarian Alicia Charland says Kendall’s Little Free Library, located just outside the entrance to the Kendall Town Hall, was donated to the community by the Kendall Class of 1997, “in memory of classmates lost, but not forgotten.”
Charland is a long-time promoter of community literacy and explained that the mission of the Little Free Libraries is to, “inspire a love of reading, build community and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges.”
Kendall’s Little Free Library made its debut during the Kendall Scarecrow Festival September 30. Charland says community members of all ages are welcome to take a book from or leave a book in the box.
Little Free Libraries are not meant to replace traditional public and institutional libraries, but to enhance them, the Little Free Libraries website states.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, up to 61 percent of low income families do not have any books for their children at home.
Little Free Libraries provide 24/7 access to books, and according to littlefreelibrary.org, there are now 60,000 registered Little Free Libraries in all U.S. states and 80 countries. Millions of books are exchanged each year, increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.
