Little libraries, big impact

Looking for a new place to get a book? Admiral Heights has at least two Little Free Libraries – one at 142
Porter Drive and another at 130 Sumner Road.

Max Burton, who enters Old Mill High School as a freshman this fall, built the one on Porter Drive with three team members during an eighth grade STEM project at Old Mill Middle School. Community involvement was stressed, so his grandparents, Janet and Rusty Mack, agreed to put the library on their curb.

It was installed on a dark, rainy night before the Memorial Day weekend. “It was a great project, and we had a grand opening on Memorial Day,” Janet said. The couple handed out about 26 half sheet fliers along their street and Baldridge Road.

“We had refreshments and our neighbors came, bringing books,” Janet said. “It’s been a lot of fun with people stopping by as they walk their dogs.” People have donated so many books that the couple built a bookcase in their house to hold them all. They rotate the books regularly.

The Porter Drive Library was free to the Macks as the students’ families donated all the building materials except for the shingles which were donated by Allied Building Products on Moreland Parkway.

The library’s users have formed a book club that meets at Barnes and Noble. “Almost all the ladies on my street joined,” says Maria Lebow-Little of Porter Drive.

Ed Herold of 130 Sumner Road learned of the Little Free Library through Kickstarter. “A young lady in
North Carolina was raising money on Kickstarter for a Little Free Library,” Ed said. “Her goal was to raise money for one, but she ended up with enough money for 50! Since I also donated a box of books in addition to the cash contribution that I had made, she dedicated one of her libraries to me.”

A big fan of books, libraries and community involvement, Ed placed the Little Free Library near a
bench, so “people can sit down and spend some time with the books.”

“Every book teaches you something,” says Ed who rotates the books on a regular basis. When he shops for
books, he usually buys some for himself and some for the library.

“I just want to contribute to the neighborhood,” he says. “It’s a great way to meet people as dog walkers are always dropping by. It’s also popular because it’s open 24/7. If a snowstorm closes the regular library for two or three days, people can still come to the little library.”

Ed is happy he opened the Little Free Library. “It was a good thing to do,” he says.

Patrons have shown their appreciation by their comments in a little notebook in the Porter Drive location. One wrote, “Thank you for building a healthy community atmosphere with your Little Free Library. We will be sure to read and return/contribute often!”

Another wrote, “We love your Little Library and will start our own. We will bring books to share. Thank you.”

Other comments describing the libraries include: “What a great idea!” “Fabulous idea!” “Love it!” “We are so excited to read and return.”

The Macks say that Little Free Libraries are all over the world in all shapes and sizes. “Someone even used a refrigerator as a library,” Janet said. She also says that only 40 percent of the libraries are registered at the little library website at https://littlefreelibrary.org/. Both the Admiral Heights libraries are registered. You can find Ed’s on the world map now, and the Macks expect their location to show up there soon.