Collinwood Builds "Little Free Libraries"!
“Be awesome! Be a book nut!” Dr. Seuss
And we definitely need more of us here in Collinwood! So, on August 31, a group of us from Collinwood joined the Little Free Library Big Little Build at Cleveland Public Library's Eastman Reading Garden (which has actually been around, as the Reading Garden, since 1960.) And the Little Red Cap Project members werethere - for a very cool reason, as you'll see! Here in Collinwood, it was Caroline Peak, who is District 5 Manager for the Cleveland Public Library, who brought this opportunity to us, through her involvement in the Little Free Library Cleveland Movement, in collaboration with Cleveland Public Library Literature Department and Ohio Center for the Book Manager, Amy Dawson. The Ohio Center for the Book has been supporting Little Free Libraries since 2012 and has helped to give away over 5000 books to Cleveland residents.
What, you may be asking, is the Little Free Library (LFL) movement?
The Little Free Library movement is about something very simple: getting people to read. And the magic that comes with that is people meeting people.
Not only do books move through the neighborhood, but time and again, people connect at the LFL (I imagine the conversation starter is something like: "what're you reading there?") People meet people visiting the LFLs, and we become neighbors again. (A happy side effect, I think, no?) Reading is not only the key to success for children - and adults as well - but these LFLs bring neighbors together, and even help connect us all to art. (Decorating these is limited only by your imagination! Likewise, what kind of "container" you put them in! Check out Mental Floss at http://mentalfloss.com/article/61083/15-gorgeous-little-free-libraries - and see if it gives you any ideas!)
So how does it work? LFL movement says Take a Book; Return a Book - or Both - so it can't be simpler: you take a book, and you leave a book. That's it. The book is yours, no due date, you read it - and if you want to bring it back, you can. If not, bring another! (And if you've got extra books - we're all glad to have them for these LFLs!)
Intrigued? Check out the current LFLs at Collinwood Neighborhood Catholic Ministries, the Salvation Army, Collinwood Village Academy, and the Lakefront Literacy bus, which is at Euclid Beach some Saturdays. Memorial School's will be up soon, & we're planning for another at O H Perry School - so stay tuned!
Back to the Eastman Garden . . .
We were two of four teams that came to Eastman to build four Little Free Library (LFL) units. After introductions to the projects that day (and a brief introduction of Little Red Cap by co-chairs Charlotte Iafeliece and your reporter) the fun began. (Collinwood neighbors building included Margaret Craig, Caroline Peak, Charlotte Iafeliece, Memorial Principal Michelle Person, Mary Louise Daley, Julia DiBaggio, Councilman Polensek, & me.)
Basically each team had a LFL "kit", with the instructions and tools needed to assemble one basic LFL. The kits were donated to the Ohio Center for the Book by LFL founder, Todd Bol who is sponsoring an “Across America with the Little Free Library” multi-year road trip plan to support literacy and a love of reading with LFLs.
The fun - & hilarity - began when our group actually started to build the LFLs from scratch. The pictures give an idea of all the fun! (Suffice it to say, while these things are reasonably simple in design, putting tools in the hands of those us not as familiar with said tools, can make for much mayhem. Which, thanks to Councilman Polensek for helping us, was kept to a minimum. All four got built tho, and they all looked fun!)
And the cool reason I mentioned?
One of the LFLs we built went to the Salvation Army, where they'd already begun a book exchange (it's open - check it out!), & the other will soon be at Memorial School, in memory of the children who died and lived thru the Collinwood School Fire.
Check out the fun!
“You can find magic
wherever you look.
Sit back and relax,
all you need is a book.”
― Dr. Seuss
Elva Brodnick - Co-Chair / Little Red Cap Project
(Thanks to everyone who helped out on this article!
Interested in the Little Free Library? Contact:
Caroline Peak, Public Service District 5 Manager for the Cleveland Public Library: caroline.peak@cpl.org
The Ohio Center for the Book: OhioCenterForTheBook@cpl.org
Little Free Library: http://littlefreelibrary.org/
The Cleveland Little Free Library Movement: http://www.clevelandlittlefreelibrary.org
Elva Brodnick
Moved to Collinwood in 2012 - and loving it! - but have been active in the neighborhood for many years before that.
Always interested in promoting Collinwood! Euclid Beach Park, history in general. A regular contributor to the Collinwood Observer. Memberships: - Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society, Northeast Shores Development Corp, E 185th Nieghborhood Association, Friends of Collinwood Recreation, & the Collinwood Area Pastoral Association. Have also worked on both the Euclid Beach Pier Committee and the Collinwood School Fire Centennial Commemoration Committee, was chair of the Euclid Beach Carrousel Committee, & am now working on the Little Red Cap Project (and volunteer at Lake View Cemetery) – have always been involved in many neighborhood “projects”.