By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Back in 2014, the Rotary Club of Essex officially welcomed the first of what grew into a whole system of Little Library boxes into the community. The program was initiated by Rotary District 6400 Governor at the time, Liz Smith of the Rotary Club of Detroit, to promote literacy. She requested each club in the district put in at least one.
Finding ways to promote literacy is one of the many mandates that the Rotary Club looks after.
The local service club supported the program by installing its first Little Library between the Essex Municipal Building and the Essex Cenotaph. There are now Little Library boxes throughout Essex Centre, including inside the Maedel Community Centre, at the historic Essex Railway Station, in the walk-in clinic area near Bradley’s Drugstore, and in the Essex Centre Sports Complex.
The motto then – and still is – to “take a book, read a book, return a book.”
Currently, however, the Rotary Club of Essex would like to ask the public for two favours in support of this very program: prevent overloading the Little Libraries, and ensure all content is safe for all eyes.
Individuals have been using the Little Libraries as they were intended to be used for the most part, but Rina Hyland, President of the Rotary Club of Essex, noted in the past year or so the Rotarians looking after the program have noticed books being piled in the depots. That has caused some concern about books falling out onto users or onto the ground causing a mess – especially if they are located outdoors. Over-stuffing can also impact the soundness of the Little Libraries.
If a Little Library is already housing many pieces of literature, and individuals or families have a large number of books to donate, she encourages them to think of thrift stores or organizations collecting books to sell at fundraising events as alternatives that also benefit the community.
“We are maintaining the Little Libraries to make sure they are not overburdened,” Hyland said.
Rotarians also want to ensure any reading material is family-friendly, as the program is accessible to children and adults alike.
Hyland assured Rotarians vet the books to make sure the options are appropriate for all ages and that they are not damaged.
“We are happy to see people are using them,” she said, noting Rotarians do see books getting submitted to the program and going out to be read. They add books, too.
Books that supply the Little Libraries come from a variety of sources; some are purchased and donated by members of the local Rotary club, others are used books that have been donated, Hyland explained.
When the Little Libraries were first installed over a decade ago, whenever the Rotary Club of Essex welcomed a guest speaker to one of its meetings the club would dedicate a book in their honour and place it into one of the Little Libraries. They stopped doing that because they were filling up on their own and it was sustaining itself.
Over the years, members of the Essex Rotary Club have also maintained the Little Libraries by ensuring repairs are done and paint is fresh.
It is wonderful people think of the program to donate their books, Hyland noted. Rotarians have heard feedback of people being spotted sitting on benches reading books from the depots, which is nice to hear. That is what they are there for.
