Little Free Library Promotes Literacy & Community Spirit

3 located in Florissant

Photos and story

By Nichole Richardson

   Along with spring’s flowers, Little Free Libraries are popping up all around the St. Louis area and even worldwide. These cute little boxes can be decorated as extravagantly or as plainly as one wants, but inside all of them are a treasure trove of books for people to exchange.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that started in 2009 and inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges. With 80+ countries participating in this literacy effort, there are over 60,000 Little Free Libraries across the globe, three here in Florissant.

Former councilman Dan Sullivan and his wife, AnnaMarie, of Old Town Florissant, are the owners of a larger Little Free Library that they positioned street side between two park benches so patrons can sit back and relax after they have chosen their book. The photo below depicts a young girl perusing the selection and ready to exchange her book.

“I built it myself out of scrap in the garage and my wife did the plaque. We’ve had it three or four years now,” said Sullivan. “We used to have two up-an adult’s and a children’s library, but we combined them and took the children’s down until I can think of how I want to design it.”

The other libraries are located off Parker Road and Waterford and at the Community Garden in Old Town. These “mini-town squares” allow users to essentially “take a book, return a book,” with no deadlines, no hassles. Based on the honor system, they invite readers to discover new books while contributing to their sense of community. This is great news considering better readers make better, healthier, more productive adults.

According to a study done by Write Express, one out of every four children in America grows up without learning how to read. The statistic is staggering, disappointing, and downright scary. Children are hardwired to learn, communicate, and connect and these little libraries are helping bridge the gap between readers and the illiterate. Study after study has proven that reading stimulates language and boosts cognitive functioning. Books spur motivation, curiosity, memory, and even fantasy, and literacy is the bedrock of greatness.

“I just love to read and it’s a great thing for the neighborhood,” explained Sullivan. He says he checks it about once a week and has never had a problem with theft or anything. In fact, the only problem he has encountered is an abundance of books.

“It’s pretty popular, especially with kids on bikes. The only problem we’ve run into is people dumping bunches of books there,” Sullivan said. I suppose that’s the best kind of problem to have with a Little Free Library.

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