In the summer of 2020, a group of women came together around one question: How could they support their community and give all children and adolescents in Hoboken, New Jersey easy access to high-quality, diverse books? The result of their collaboration was that 3 Little Free Libraries were placed around their mile square community. This was an important first step in ensuring that all children and adolescents had easy access to these books. As responsible stewards, they carefully curate the books to ensure that they are diverse. Their aim is for their libraries to become daily resources for residents in their community, whether that’s a caregiver grabbing a book and sitting in the park with a child or a child bringing a few books home to enjoy. Their vision is that their Hoboken Little Free Libraries will also be a first step in supporting a reading culture in their city.
"We want children and adolescents to find books that mirror their lives, as well as give them a window into other peoples' experiences." - Steward Leah Mermelstein
They’ve joined forces with Community Lifestyle, a non-profit organization in Hoboken that offers free programs to children and adolescents. The teens are taking care of the libraries, as part of their community service. Their hope is that getting these teens excited and engaged with the libraries will encourage other youth to feel the same way. The Hoboken stewards also plan to run some summer reading clubs connecting their Community Lifestyle’s camps with their Little Free Libraries.
"We simply can't keep up with the books, We are checking the Hoboken Little Free Libraries every day and by the end of the day they are empty. It thrills us to know that the books are going into families homes and helping to end book deserts. We also have many organizations wanting to partner with us. We believe the more we can partner with the community the more we can successfully end book deserts. " - Steward Leah Mermelstein
Want to help?!
Book donations can be made for the Hoboken Little Free Library Wish List at Little City Books here. Books that are purchased for donations can be left at Little City Books and the Hoboken Little Free Library Team will pick them up.
Follow their work on social media:
Instagram: @hobokenlfl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HobokenLittleFreeLibraries
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