Latest news with #FreeLibrary
Axios
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Free Blockbuster boxes arrive in Minnesota
It's 2025, but Blockbuster is back in Minnesota — and there's probably one near you right now. The big picture: The metro is home to a dozen locations of Free Blockbuster, take-a-movie, leave-a-movie boxes inspired by (but not affiliated with) the mostly-defunct video rental store. There are over 100 boxes across 45 states, and Twin Cities locations range from front yards to game stores to church lobbies. Reality check: They might not be as well-stocked as your local Little Free Library. Audrey visited boxes in Apple Valley and Minneapolis, and while the former was full of bootleg DVDs, the latter was down to two VHS tapes.
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Blantyre residents setting up community library box project
The new book-swapping box will open up in the heart of the community in time for the summer holidays. A new chapter is being written for Blantyre as a book-sharing box is being developed in the heart of the community. Known as the Wee Free Library, it will be put in place in the grounds of Blantyre Old Parish Church and will allow local residents of all ages to borrow and swap pre-loved books, share their recommended reads and even access reading aids and community notices. Local residents Zoe Dargue and David Lee are leading the project, with a five-foot outdoor structure containing a host of bookshelves to be constructed – and painted red – in the coming weeks with the aim of being ready for use by the start of the school summer holidays. Zoe is the author of the growing Brae Discovers series of children's books, featuring a stray cat discovering his home area of Blantyre and its history, and told how the Wee Free Library project aims to 'spark creativity, foster a love for reading and bring our community closer together'. She told Lanarkshire Live: 'The library box will be outside the church so can be accessed even when the building is closed – we have all the materials for the build to get started and we have 150 people in our Facebook group, waiting patiently for updates and pictures and to get ready for the opening. 'We contacted Blantyre Old Parish Church and asked if we could use their premises for a book swap library, and encourage people coming out of the church and classes and clubs there to use it. We've also approached youth clubs and we hope the whole community gets involved, especially children. 'My living room is already full of donated books to stock the library – we'll have books for everyone, with the kids' section being on the lower shelves in easy reach and we hope there will be a constant flow of children's books and that children especially will develop a relationship with the library. 'Brae is Blantyre's first children's book and we think it's important to encourage reading. We hope this will be something people see when they're passing by and want to look at and get involved with, and as well as books, we'll have things like reading aids, rulers to assist people with dyslexia, stationery and free colouring-in sheets for children to encourage people to use it.' Zoe told how the idea was inspired by honesty boxes she had seen while touring the north of Scotland, with goods inside ranging from farm-fresh foods to books, and how she had thought the idea would be a welcome addition to the community in her home area. A similar free library is also already in place at the Regent Centre in Hamilton, with Zoe and David recently sharing a social media video of a busy day of restocking its shelves using donated books and additional titles purchased from nearby charity shops. The public book-sharing initiatives allow visitors to borrow, exchange or donate pre-loved books with the invitation to 'take one, leave one or both', and donations can be left in the accessible community space when it opens for book-sharing during the summer months. Zoe and David add: 'We hope that Blantyre will adopt the Wee Free Library as their own, continuing to stock their own donations and allowing the community to spread the work on a noticeboard in the box – our goal is to create a hub of inspiration and connection for people of all ages to be proud to be a part of.' The current aim is for Blantyre's Wee Free Library to open in later June or early July for the school summer holidays.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Little Free Library Unveils 200,000th Book-Sharing Box
Milestone library is the first of 200 granted to Title I schools nationwide ST. PAUL, Minn., March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Little Free Library® (LFL) nonprofit organization is proud to announce a significant milestone: the installation of the 200,000th Little Free Library book-sharing box. This landmark library has been donated to Benjamin E. Mays IB World School, an elementary school in St. Paul's historic Rondo neighborhood. It marks the first of 200 Little Free Libraries being granted to Title I schools across the country, in an effort to expand children's access to books. The 200,000th Little Free Library, located inside the school at 560 Rondo Ave, is exclusively for students. Designed to resemble a red one-room schoolhouse, it pays homage to the original Little Free Library built by LFL founder Todd H. Bol in 2009. This 200k milestone library joins LFL's worldwide network, which spans all 50 states, 128 countries, and all seven continents. "We are honored to recognize all the work done by our global network of stewards and supporters to reach 200,000 Little Free Libraries," said LFL Executive Director Greig Metzger. "But as we celebrate the past, today's event is just as much about the future. The promising future embodied in these young scholars at Benjamin E. Mays IB World School. The future where all of us, no matter our age, economic status or residence, have the opportunity to readily access a book that can inspire, motivate and empower. Working together locally as a community, a community connected through Little Free Libraries, we hope to make this opportunity a reality for all." To celebrate the unveiling, the school hosted a dedication ceremony featuring remarks from Metzger and Principal Dr. Kenneth O. Turner Jr., a ribbon-cutting, and story time. Roughly 50 students who excelled in a recent school-wide reading challenge attended the event. All 340 students, kindergarten through fifth grade, received books donated by Penguin Random House and participated in a dedicated reading session. "Freedom is the road seldom traveled by the multitudes; however, literacy is the gateway to learn one's past, present and shape the future," said Dr. Turner. "Through literacy, one can travel the world, reading and learning about historical figures who have shaped the world. Literacy can take you into space and travel the galaxies far away. In the words of Dr. Mays, 'It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.' Through literacy all is obtainable." Two Hundred Little Free Libraries for Title I Schools Following this morning's launch, 199 additional Little Free Libraries will be installed at Title I elementary schools nationwide. The libraries are sponsored in part by Books Unbanned and three of its consortium members—San José State University iSchool, Brooklyn Public Library and The Seattle Public Library—and Mortenson. Each library will be stocked with 200 brand-new books, part of Penguin Random House's generous donation of more than 40,000 books. "Little Free Library is an essential partner in our effort to get more books into the hands of young readers that help them understand themselves and the world around them," said Claire von Schilling, EVP and Director of Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility, Penguin Random House. "We are honored to partner with them on this meaningful milestone!" Schools receiving these libraries and books were selected through an application process, with winners sharing compelling stories of how a Little Free Library will impact their students: PS189X - Cornerstone Academy for Social Action, Bronx, NY – "Surrounded by fast-food restaurants and auto repair shops, our 269 Pre-K through 5th grade students have limited access to books. A Little Free Library will empower them to build personal libraries at home, develop positive reading habits, and share their love of books with their families." Iditarod Elementary School, Wasilla, AK – "Our resilient students face significant challenges, with 100% qualifying for free and reduced lunch. A Little Free Library will provide more opportunities to engage with books, fostering a lifelong love of reading and supporting literacy development." Somerset Lakes Academy, West Palm Beach, FL – "Many of our students have little to no books at home, and transportation barriers prevent families from reaching the public library. A Little Free Library will serve as a crucial bridge, providing ongoing access to literature for students, their siblings, parents, and the community." To celebrate the 200,000th Little Free Library milestone and the distribution of 200 book-sharing boxes and 40,000 books to Title I schools, LFL is hosting a ticketed event on March 20 at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. Those unable to attend can take part by sharing a book in a Little Free Library, starting their own, volunteering with Team LFL or donating to support LFL's mission of expanding book access for all. For more details, visit ABOUT LITTLE FREE LIBRARY Little Free Library® (LFL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds community, inspires readers and expands book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. There are more than 190,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, in 128 countries and on all seven continents. LFL received the 2020 World Literacy Award as well as honors from the Library of Congress, National Book Foundation and others. The organization grants Little Free Libraries full of books to underserved areas through its Impact Library and Indigenous Library programs and champions diverse books through its Read in Color initiative. ABOUT BENJAMIN E. MAYS WORLD IB SCHOOLThe Saint Paul community established Benjamin E. Mays IB World School in 1977. The school honors Dr. Mays as a leader in education and a great communicator. The school is an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB)/Primary Years Programme school. Benjamin E. Mays helps students gain skills to think critically, communicate, research, ask questions and take action in the world around them. ABOUT PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE As the world's largest trade publisher, Penguin Random House has a mission to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. We believe that books, and the stories and ideas they hold, have the unique capacity to connect us, change us, and carry us toward a better future for generations to come. ABOUT BOOKS UNBANNEDBooks Unbanned responds to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves in schools and public libraries nationwide. Partnering libraries provide free digital library cards to teens and young adults across the country to enhance access to frequently banned materials and support the freedom to read. Media Contact: Margret Aldrich / 715-690-2488 x805 / maldrich@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Little Free Library Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grandfather reflects on family lost in murder-suicide one year later
FERGUSON, Mo. – This past year has been an unimaginable journey of heartache and loss for Cordell Beache. Holidays and birthdays passed without his beloved grandchildren Ellie, Ivy, Jackson and Millie. Ellie and Ivy were 9-year-old twins. Jackson was 6 years old. Millie was just shy of her third birthday. 'The last Christmas we had together, we were all standing around the dining room table, and we had a cake with candles on it. And the children were singing Happy Birthday to Jesus,' Beache recalled. 'They just filled this house with joy and laughter.' On Feb. 19, 2024, fire tore through his daughter Bernadine Pruessner's home on Clay Avenue in Ferguson. First responders discovered a devastating scene. St. Louis County Police later ruled that Pruessner killed her children and herself. She left a suicide note in her minivan. Beache said his wife, Cynthia, sensed something was wrong in the hours leading up to the tragedy. 'That night she looked at me and said, 'There's something wrong with Birdie,'' he said. 'We live with that every day—thinking, what could we have done? What should we have seen? And what signs were there?' Inside Beache's home, wrapped gifts for the children still sit in an upstairs bedroom, untouched. It's a painful reminder they'll never be opened.'Every time we go in there, that's what we're looking at,' he said. 'It's been very challenging.' Despite his grief, Beache is determined to make sure their memory lives on. Firefighters respond to blaze at vacant home in Chesterfield The lot where Bernadine's home once stood is being transformed into a memorial garden. The intention is to make it a space for healing not just for Beache and his family, but for anyone who's grieving a loss. 'It's an area people can just go and reflect,' he explained. 'If there's anyone having issues in their lives, it's just a peaceful area for them to go and enjoy a scenery that's tranquil and peaceful.' Beache and his wife have also established the JEMI Peace Memorial Foundation, named after Jackson, Ellie, Millie, and Ivy. 'We've been trying to focus on giving back to the community and honoring their lives,' he said. Outside their home in Lake St. Louis, a Little Free Library stands in tribute to Birdie and the children, who loved to read. Beyond memorializing his daughter and grandchildren, Beache is advocating for systemic change to better support women in custody disputes. 'She didn't have the financial means to keep fighting,' Beache said. 'After her death, we found out she had spent half a salary in legal fees, and that should not be allowed.' Despite her struggles, Beache remembers Birdie as a devoted mother, teacher, and a loyal friend. 'She was raised very independent, and that's how she was,' he explained. 'She did not ask for help. She would do as much as she could on her own.' Through it all, Beache holds onto his faith and has been processing what happened through counseling. 'My daughter and the grandchildren were the light of our lives. They brought us so much joy,' he reflected. 'We know that one day we'll see them all again. But for now, we're just going to focus on their memory and making sure that they're remembered for who they were.' A fundraiser has been set up to help bring the Beache family's vision of the JEMI Memorial Peace Garden to life. They can also be reached through email at jemimemorialpeacegarden4@ If you or someone you know is struggling, resources are available. For support, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or visit Additional resources for families in custody disputes can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Free Library of Philadelphia and Kansas City Public Library battle in Library Love Competition
Philadelphia library fans have until Friday to help Free Library of Philadelphia win a friendly competition against rival Kansas City Public Library in the Library Love Competition. While both cities will face off at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, the American Library Association is tallying to see how many community members in both cities love their libraries. Free Library of Philadelphia's spokesperson Mark Graham says it's been an amazing boost to see how much people love the Philadelphia library. "I love the appreciation for the wonderful library staff," Graham said. "I'm moved by how important libraries are to Philadelphians." Hundreds of comments from Philly library fans have poured in expressing everything from how the library's existence helped them find work and create community to the Free Library's commitment to inclusivity and free access to so many important resources. "Keep the comments coming," Graham said. "We're following this closely and sharing the love around the Free Library. And we need to beat Kansas City! And finally, go Birds!" Look for the Library Love Competition post on Free Library of Philadelphia's Facebook page and comment in the comment section on why Philadelphia should win before Friday. It's all part of National Library Lovers Month celebrated throughout February.
