HeraldTimesOnline.com
Thanks to Ivy Tech for all the good reads
Our opinion
April 24, 2013
The folks at the Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington campus have jumped on a really good idea, building and placing three Little Free Libraries in the community.
The little libraries look like good-sized doll houses. Books are stored inside them, with the goal being that some people “check them out,” while others donate their own to the collection.
The three completed by Ivy Tech are going to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, Community Kitchen-Crestmont and Middle Way House. Head Start has requested one as well.
The concept is simple and has taken hold worldwide; it’s estimated that 6,000 now exist. When the movement began in Wisconsin in 2009, the hope was to build 2,510 Little Libraries to exceed the number of libraries supported by Andrew Carnegie. The nonprofit’s website now says there are between 5,000 and 6,000 in 36 countries.
Book sharing has essentially been in place informally at some coffee shops and other locations in town where books are available for people to borrow. But these easily recognizable structures, meant to be outside, take the concept of community sharing of knowledge, resources and literacy even further.
Chelsea Rood-Emmick, executive director for the Center for Civic Engagement at Ivy Tech-Bloomington, recognized the potential for our community and is most responsible for getting the Little Free Library project started. She’s still collecting books she believes would be appropriate for the locations earmarked for the first three structures. If you have books to donate, contact her at 330-6037.
Two of the dollhouse-sized Little Free Library boxes created by Ivy Tech Community College staff members and students are seen awaiting placement in the community. David Snodgress | Herald-Times
Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2013
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
