District Literacy
LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES
There is a new literacy trend in our district-- Little Free Libraries are popping up throughout the district!
Some recent examples:
* The Rotary Club of Bath Sunrise raised funds for a Little Free Library in Bath by volunteering at Bath Heritage Day.
* The Rotary Club of Saco Bay Sunset started a Little Free Library program in Old Orchard Beach.
* The Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale collaborated on a Little Free Library program with Goodall Library. In a unique twist, they are using old newspaper dispensers as Little Free Libraries.
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Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and forms. Some Little Free Libraries are inexpensive and others can be very elaborate. They can be great art projects for the entire family; for example, children can paint a dresser or armoire and let their creativity run loose.
Most of us think of Little Free Libraries as installed outdoors, but little libraries can be placed indoors in local businesses, schools, or coffee shops (among other places!), and they can be as simple as a book shelf, book box, or plastic tub.
During our District Conference in 2015, Past District Governor Marge Barker began distributing little boxes of books to each club for re-distribution in their communities. Who would have imagined the impact this program would have--thousands of books have been distributed in our district!
The Little Free Library program started with a model of a little schoolhouse built by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009 to honor his mother. She was a teacher who loved reading.
Todd filled the little schoolhouse with books and installed it on a post in their front yard. By 2010, the Little Free Library name had been established and the program began growing. In addition to promoting reading, the libraries bring neighbors closer and positively impact communities. Since then, the organization has continued to grow and has collaborated with organizations such as the International Literacy Association and Rotary International.
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Here are some tips for our local book enthusiasts:
- Identify your location; it should have a lot of foot traffic, and be highly visible
- Design, build or buy your little library
- Register your Little Free Library on www.littlefreelibrary.org, and add your library on the World Map
- Install the official Little Free Library engraved sign you will receive with your charter number and DO NOT FORGET to include your Rotary Club sign
- Maintain your Little Free Library
- Design, build or buy your little library
- Register your Little Free Library on www.littlefreelibrary.org, and add your library on the World Map
- Install the official Little Free Library engraved sign you will receive with your charter number and DO NOT FORGET to include your Rotary Club sign
- Maintain your Little Free Library
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A service project like Little Free Libraries makes the world a better place by just exchanging one book at the time. We should not underestimate the power of books to change lives and inspire individuals to follow their dreams.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."