East Spartans build Little Free Libraries

Little Free Library is a non profit organization throughout the globe that promotes reading and builds communities. Each year, millions of books are exchanged through the process of taking a book and returning a book. Throughout neighborhoods, a small wooden box is filled with shared, donated books that were someone else’s favorite books.

East Spartans worked on building the wooden Little Free Library boxes.

Last year, Jane Holt, who is the Media Center-Department Chair at Lincoln East, spoke to an FCS class and addressed what you can do to help kids catch up to where they are supposed to be in their education. A student who was in the class contacted Holt, mentioning how her father owns a trailer park and how she was motivated to make sure that there were books available there. “I thought that was unbelievable,” said Holt. “Then I thought, why don’t we build Little Free Libraries for high density low income neighborhoods?” she explained. After meetings and planning over the summer, Holt received a grant of $2,500 from LPS and then developed a relationship with Everett Elementary School.

The Everett neighborhood is located in a place called a “book desert” where there are no Little Free Libraries and where the Downtown library closes earlier in the day. Because of this location and recommendations from the Lincoln Community Foundation, Holt chose Everett.

East students are getting involved by participating and volunteering. On October 12, a Halloween goodie hunt was held at Everett and assisted by 30 East High students. East’s Art Club is starting to meet with their garden clubs, so that the East community is getting to know the children they’re providing the libraries for. DECA, FCS, English classes, Infants and Toddlers classes are all contributing to this cause.

East students volunteered at a Halloween goodie hunt held at Everett Elementary.

Holt says, “I think it’s going to be amazing. I think when it’s done, East High students and staff will have gotten just as much out of it as Everett and the neighborhood.”