Dublin Junior Girl Scouts Give Back With Free Little Libraries

DUBLIN, CA — A local Girl Scout troop has installed two little free libraries that they hope will not only provide books and other reading material to the Dublin community, but that they hope local residents will continue to grow long after the boxes were put in place by the group.

Girl Scout Troop 30266 is a collection of 13 fifth-grade girls who attend Amador Elementary and Kolb Elementary. The Junior Girl Scout Troop placed the two boxes filled with books that members of the community are invited to take, borrow, or donate to keep the library growing.

One of the free libraries contains books specifically designed for kids between kindergarten and the fifth grade and is located just outside of the east gate of Kolb Elementary. The other library is located in front of the shops at The Village Green, which is located at 7079 Village Parkway.

The libraries have been stocked with books provided by the local Girl Scout troop members, each of whom was tasked with donating three books, according to Troop 30266 co-leader Connie Nelson. Most of the books were collected from the girls’ own books, but others were donated by friends and family members.

Materials for the libraries, including the containers and paint were paid for with money earned from Girl Scout cookie sales completed by the troop. Troop members painted the boxes and also hand-painted “kindness rocks” to help decorate the little free libraries, Nelson said.

“It was so rewarding both as a parent and as a Girl Scout leader to see the girls get excited about providing service to their community,” Nelson wrote in an email to Patch on Tuesday. “Hopefully, they will continue to engage in projects that instill a sense of compassionate service and foster community connectivity throughout their lives.”

Installing the free little libraries was part of the process of the girls earning the Bronze Award, which is the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. In order to achieve the honor, the project undertaken by the girls must include a sustainable component, Nelson said.

The Dublin Troop belongs to the Crossroads Service Unit of the Girls Scouts of Northern California. Now that the free little libraries have been installed, Nelson hopes the community will help to keep it going.

“Although the girls will be checking the libraries from time to time, this system is designed to run itself,” Nelson said.