One Boy Scout is looking to foster a love of reading in his community.
National Library Week will kick off across the United States on Sunday, April 10, and will run through Saturday, April 16, with a theme of “Libraries Transform.”
According to the American Library Association, National Library Week began in the mid-1950s when research revealed that Americans spent more time on other recreational activities, such as radio and watching television, than they did on reading. Since 1959, the initiative has grown into an annual event that promotes reading, library attendance and literacy in children and adults.
At Plant City’s Bruton Memorial Library, National Library Week events will run from Monday, April 11, to Friday, April 15.
The week will kick off with the unveiling of Plant City’s first Little Free Library at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 11, at the library. The Plant City Times & Observer has partnered with Blake Dunn, who is building six little libraries throughout the community for his Eagle Scout project to increase literacy in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
Little libraries are small cabinets filled with books, which residents can take to read and later return. Residents can also donate their old books for little library use.
The Prologue
Plant City High School student Blake Dunn has always loved reading — from growing up with “Goosebumps” as a kid through the Harry Potter phenomenon.
For his Eagle Scout project, Dunn wanted to share that love of reading with kids and adults in Plant City, especially those who might not otherwise have access to books. For the last month, Dunn, a member of Troop 5, has worked on building six little libraries to be placed around Plant City.
The free, international initiative has two primary goals: promoting literacy and community.
Dunn first decided to build little libraries after hearing about the initiative from local business owner Yvonne Fry.
“I saw it online in different communities,” Fry said. She then became interested in having them in Plant City. “Some Eagle Scout projects might serve one area. This serves a community. People will feel connected.”
The initiative has evolved from an Eagle Scout project to a community effort.
The Plot
As part of the project, Dunn partnered with Lowe’s Home Improvement for the building materials, including plexiglass and plywood. The store gave him the materials at a cost, lower than the typical retail price, and local businesses stepped forward to sponsor materials.
Dunn led younger Boy Scouts to help in the building process. Most have been completed so far. The finished little libraries have been given to artists throughout the community to decorate. The staff of the Plant City Times & Observer partnered with Dunn to bring artists and sponsors together with locations.
2015 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Samantha Sun painted the first little library. Other committed artists include locals Eric Barber and James Villa.
Three of the little libraries have scheduled locations: Plant City Family YMCA, the United Food Bank of Plant City and the Plant City Times & Observer.
At the first Little Free Library unveiling Monday, April 11, the Plant City Times & Observer will take sign-ups for residents who wish to win a Free Little Library. A Little Free Library will be raffled to a resident at a later date.
The other two locations are pending city approval: Historic Downtown and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
The Conclusion
In a city like Plant City, which has 13 Title I schools, Dunn hopes that little libraries will provide an answer to a need, especially for families and children who are unable to make it to Bruton Memorial Library during regular hours.
The goal of the little libraries is to promote a love of reading and provide access to books and materials that some
children, especially underprivileged children, might not otherwise have.
About a month ago, students at Cork Elementary School donated 1,800 books to students at Jackson Elementary. Both are Title I schools. The huge donation, which was the result of a school fundraiser, gave Jackson students access to books in time for spring break.
Nationwide, it’s a similar story. According to statistics from the National Institute for Literacy, the National Center for Adult Literacy, the Literacy Company and the United States Census Bureau, 44 million adults are unable to read a story to their children.
Summer is a critical time, when students either leap ahead or fall behind. More than 80% of children from economically disadvantaged communities lose reading skills over the summer because they lack access to books, learning resources and enrichment opportunities, such as trips to the library, bookstore, or museum, according to Reading is Fundamental.
But Little Free Libraries is aiming to change these national statistics. Dunn isn’t the first one to try such an initiative. Little Free Libraries are found throughout the United States — some as close as Tampa — and throughout Canada, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The six little libraries in Plant City will be registered and receive an official charter sign and charter number, allowing the library to gain access to a network of benefits.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
