Victorian Roses Blooming Again in East Dedham

DEDHAM, MA - Residents in East Dedham are celebrating the return of the little free library, which was recently reinstalled at the Whiting Triangle Park on Colburn and Whitehall Streets. The free mini lending library, entitled “Victorian Roses” was painted by East Dedham native and artist Sarah Edson, who traveled back from her new home in Maine to pick up the library, and bring it back to her studio for refurbishing. Colburn Street resident Nick Garlick, who has been volunteering to support the little free libraries for several years now, provided woodworking repair, and replaced the rusting latch and hinges with new and improved naval brass hardware. Garlick also handled the reinstallation of the library in the park with the help of his sons.

The restoration of the dozen little libraries across town is being overseen by Dedham Library Innovation Team’s (D-LIT) Dedham Little Free Library Project. DLIT’s founder Paul Reynolds shares his excitement about the on-going restoration project, “When we started this project nearly a decade ago, we had no idea how popular these libraries would be - nor how many we’d end up building to satisfy demand. With our new restoration and on-going maintenance plan, these little libraries will be in great shape for their next decade of service.”

With financial support from Dedham Cultural Council and Dedham Savings Community Foundation. DLIT volunteer Christine Ryan has been managing material sourcing for the project, which includes high-quality, solid brass hardware that should hold up better in New England’s harsh weather.

DLIT's Dedham Little Free Library Project is an officially chartered member of the national Little Free Libraries initiative, which numbers over 100,000 little libraries in 108 countries. The libraries serve all ages from children to seniors. Use of the libraries is free - and books are all donated by the community. For general information about D-LIT’s Dedham Little Free Library Project, the public is invited to join the group’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/dedhamlittlefreelibrary. Additional information about the Dedham Library Innovation Team is available on its website: www.DLITdedham.com.

Even token donations for DLIT’s Little Free Libraries Restoration Project are greatly appreciated. Those interested in providing financial support can contact dlit.team@gmail.com or send a check to DLIT, 164 Munroe Street, Dedham, MA. 02026. Donations can also be made via the DLIT PayPal account: https://tinyurl.com/supportDLIT. DLIT, Inc. is a 501 c3 non-profit organization. EIN# 45-1585594.