At Suwanee ES, literacy is a big deal. And participation in a new project— the installation of a Little Free Library— is making a big impact. Principal Emily Keag and Jennifer Duncan, the school’s media specialist, saw the concept as a great addition to Suwanee ES, and got to work creating a plan. The end result? A cheerful, red and black structure containing two shelves of books, enclosed in an elevated cabinet. The small library is available for anyone in the community to use.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world— more than 60,000 libraries in more than 80 countries! The program encourages the exchange of books in neighborhoods and communities by providing easy access to books. One of the most successful ways to improve the reading achievement of children is to increase their access to books, especially at home.
“As educators, we know the importance of reading,” says Ms. Duncan. “We want our students to not just read but to develop a love for reading. This project gives our whole community a shared reading experience. We look forward to continuing to find ways to engage our community in reading activities that involve our Little Free Library.”
Suwanee students donated dozens of gently used books from their personal collections to share with students at the school and others in the community. Student representatives who donated from each grade level also participated in the ribbon-cutting for the school’s new Little Free Library.
Described by one student as a “Goodwill for books," the Suwanee Little Free Library invites students and visitors to “take a book, return a book.” When students visit the Little Free Library, they are encouraged to take a picture and share it with Ms. Duncan.
When asked about favorite books that would be good to add to the shared library, a 5th grader named Joel suggested, “I would put in the Percy Jackson series because the books are really adventurous, thrilling and interesting.”