In a modern world where much reading is done via the use of electronic devices, librarians are working hard to keep libraries relevant. And there is a growing movement to get the word out – the written word, that is, in the form of real tangible books.
For one Mattapoisett resident, printed books are still very relevant, and helping the community with easy free access to books seems even more relevant. To that end, Mary Kathleen Briand, AKA ‘Mary K,’ has a rather special tiny building right in her front yard for her particular purpose.
“I was on a business trip in Maryland,” Briand said, “and I saw what looked like an English phone booth.” When she inquired of her traveling companion what the structure was, she learned it was a Little Free Library, a small kiosk where books may be borrowed and exchanged anytime, any day, by anybody.
Briand explained that she thought it would be fun and useful to her neighborhood as well as the larger community to have a little free library in her front yard.
“I get a fair amount of foot traffic going by my front door,” she said.
Briand’s home is next door to the tennis courts at Center School. There, sprouted in her front yard, is the attractive little book box. But the real inspiration for following through and learning more about Little Free Libraries was her mother, a former reading teacher.
Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin first established the Little Free Library movement in 2009. Bol’s idea was inspired by his mother. She had been an educator.
With an associate, Bol struck on the concept of placing little libraries in under-serviced neighborhoods or in rural locations where getting to a brick and mortar library might prove difficult or even impossible.
On the Little Free Library website, www.littlefreelibrary.org, the founders’ stated mission is “To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.” The website reports that by November 2016, 50,000 little libraries had been established around the globe.
Book exchanges aren’t a new idea. One can find book exchanges almost everywhere, even at local landfills. Yet, having a little free library in one’s neighborhood makes accessing something to read more of a social activity.
“You never know what book someone might leave in the library,” Briand said.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization. There are fees associated with full participation. Those subscribing to partner with LFL are called stewards and are given permission to use the name, logo, to register their library on the LFL website, and full access to their Facebook page. LFL uses donations and registration fees to place libraries in areas where economic conditions have compromised access to books.
Stewards provide the library structures by building them to suggested size and scale, buying pre-built libraries, or purchasing the materials from LFL. It’s important that anyone planning to put a little library on their property check in with local building departments to ensure compliance with all local codes and standards.
And lest you think LFL hasn’t gone big time, Whoopi Goldberg included LFL in her November 2016 list of favorite things that was aired on the program The View. Audience members were asked to bring a book to donate. Enough books were donated to fill five little free libraries. The libraries were given to communities who had pre-registered with the show. Those libraries went to cities and towns in Florida, California, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
Briand’s library has only been up for a few weeks.
“The children across the street watch the library and tell me when someone has stopped by,” Briand said. She hopes to get the word out that there is a Little Free Library ready and waiting in the Mattapoisett village area.
There are two other Little Free Libraries in Mattapoisett. One is at the Mattapoisett Housing Authority located at 1 Acushnet Road and the other is at 4 Edgewood Lane.
As for Briand’s library, she invites all to by stop. Currently, there are children’s holiday storybooks, as well as mysteries, classics, and a few surprises.
One final word on reading, Will Schwalbe of The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article on the importance of reading with a sub-heading of “Reading books remains one of the best ways to engage with the world, become a better person and understand life’s questions big and small.”
By Marilou Newell