VANCEBURG — Dotted around Lewis County, you’ve probably seen little boxes on the corners of businesses filled with books.
If you have, feel free to take one from the many “Little Libraries,” as LINK District Literacy leader Tammy Brown has dubbed them, and enjoy.
Brown had the idea for the Little Libraries for some time. In 2016, the Lewis County School district recieved the Project LINK grant which is used to “provide and expand early literacy for young children, motivate older children to read, and to increase student achievement by using school libraries as partners to improve literacy,” according to the project’s mission statement.
“The Little Library project was a dream of mine and made possible by local business sponsors whose donation paid for the supplies,” Brown said. “The Foster Meade Career and Technical Center Carpentry classes built the boxes for us. We got them painted, and delivered to businesses.”
There are 10 Little Libraries throughout the county, with around five located in Vanceburg near local businesses that helped fund them. Brown has expressed her desire to build more in the future, as she feels very strongly about bolstering the community’s literacy.
Feedback regarding the Little Library project has also been positive among the community, Brown said, as people enjoy being able to walk past one of the book collection sites and just pick up or return a book.
“Reading is a passion of mine,” Brown said. “I started a book club at our public library about six years ago and it is still meeting monthly. I love my work with literacy and feel fortunate to share my passion with others.”
