Little Free Library coming to Blawnox in August
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Anyone with a love of literacy can check out Blawnox’s new Little Free Library under construction in the heart of town near the Veteran’s Memorial along Freeport Road.
The box is roughly 2 feet by 2 feet and will be painted in the borough’s colors of blue and gold. It is expected to open in August and will be stocked with books for all ages, Councilwoman Katie Coban said.
“We just want to get books to everyone,” said Coban, who spearheaded the move to bring the library to town. She has volunteered to maintain the box and its collections.
Founded in 2009, the Little Free Library program was born in Hudson, Wisc., when Todd Bol built a miniature one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a teacher.
The do-it-yourself project inspired an international book-sharing mission to spark a love of reading and encourage communities to come together. Today, there are more than 100,000 Little Free Libraries across the globe.
According to the group’s website, book access matters because, from an academic perspective, children who live in homes without books are about three years behind kids with books. A Little Free Library has the potential to share hundreds of age-appropriate books with low-income children who wouldn’t otherwise have access.
Coban said she has been inundated with people requesting to drop off items for the new library box.
The cost of the project is about $200, said Heather Husband, a Little Free Library liaison, who is constructing the lending box.
She added a motion-activated LED light to the interior, stainless steel screws and a handle, weather stripping, and a magnetic catch to ensure a proper seal.
Husband said she grew up accompanying her mother to the Squirrel Hill Library every weekend. Now, halfway through a master’s program in elementary education, Husband said she sees a direct correlation between literacy and ongoing success.
“Your child might have difficulty reading, but did you know that it can contribute to their math grade as well? Math problems are usually written out,” she said.
Coban is accepting books for infants to adults. They can be dropped off at the municipal building by appointment by calling 412-828-4141.
“It’s great and growing,” Coban said. “I’m excited just to keep our community together and keep reading.”