Latest news with #LittleFreeLibrary
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rotary Club of Ending Child Abuse unveils DEI Little Free Library in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, N.C. (WNCT) — The Rotary Club of Ending Child Abuse announces the completion of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Little Free Library project in Jacksonville. This is a community literacy initiative that hopes to foster inclusion and prevent child abuse through access to diverse educational resources. It was funded by Rotary District 7730 DEI Committee and Club fundraising efforts and supports over 90 Little Free Libraries across Onslow County. The project ran from December 1, 2024, to May 15, 2025. A highlight of the project was the installation of a new Little Free Library at Plaza ManorApartments in Jacksonville, N.C. where many books focused on diversity were supplied. 'This project has deepened our club's understanding of the importance of equitable access to literature,' Club President Taylor Alphin said. Books are shown to boost literacy and long-term educational success, so it's important to offer inclusive titles in areas where children might otherwise lack reading materials. LaWanna Wooden, President-Elect and project leader, added, 'Books that reflect all families help plant the seeds ofempathy, curiosity, and acceptance—tools that can prevent abuse and strengthencommunities.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee Little Free Library once vandalized, now replaced
MILWAUKEE - Three years ago, community leaders installed a Little Free Library on Milwaukee's north side. It promoted literature for kids and young adults. What we know In 2024, three people destroyed the Little Free Library at 10th and Atkinson for no reason. The person who arranged to have it installed, Nicole Goins, was devastated. "They even used their bare hands to attempt to tear off the roof," Goins, founder of Pretty Girls are Educated, said in May 2024. "I'm in shock. I'm in disbelief. I'm hurt. And more so, disappointed." Now, the library has been replaced after a community collaboration. Goins founded her mentorship organization and, two years ago, unveiled the Little Free Library near 10th and Atkinson. It was full of books to help promote literacy among kids and young adults. It also honored Goins' grandparents, who instilled in her the value of education. Goins has a goal of having ten or more Little Free Libraries throughout the city. The Source The information in this post was based on an update from a previous FOX6 News story.
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Words, music, and more combine to tell overlooked stories of women of color in Boston
Advertisement The presentation was part of Narratives of Women of Color in Greater Boston , a new performance series that aims to reintroduce these kinds of rich but overlooked narratives with original compositions. These new works, many of which fuse music, dance, video, or poetry, are based on historical documents about women of color in Boston, ranging from decades-old archival interviews to contemporary poetry and manuscripts submitted by community members. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The April event launched the series with programming that was primarily inspired by the Advertisement The series is the initiative of Qin cites community engagement as a key component of her artistic practice, and decided to dig deeper into the history of neighborhoods across her new-ish home last fall. She launched an open call for materials preserving the experiences of Boston-based women of color, requesting text-based documents like letters, poetry, and manuscripts. She ultimately received 'eye-opening' submissions from residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Cambridge, Brookline, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, and the Fenway, touching on topics such as life as a Black disabled woman and the city's desegregation busing crisis in the 1970s and 1980s. Combined with the interviews from the oral history project, the wealth of perspectives would serve as the inspiration for the series's six composers: ' I wanted to really go into those histories, see what actually happened and what I didn't know, and what I could create from those unknown things,' Qin says. Guests at Tuesday's event in Roxbury can expect to hear five of the eight new compositions created for the series, including a work by Qin that was inspired by 'Present/Presence,' a poem from Boston disability advocate and author Heather Watkins. Another event in the series, scheduled for May 31, will move the experience outdoors to the Little Free Library at the Rose Kennedy Greenway and unveil two previously-unheard compositions created for the series. Advertisement Qin says she hopes the multimedia nature of the performances will pique guest's interests in the materials that inspired each event, as well as the careers and backgrounds of the composers themselves. 'Even if it's just one phrase or one note, if that moment really speaks to them, I think it could start a new journey for them,' she says. GIG GUIDE Puerto Rican star At Roadrunner on Brooklyn's Sunflower Bean revive a retro rock sound at Deep Cuts this Saturday. Anna Nazarova Two of Brooklyn's best rock bands visit Deep Cuts this week; after releasing their taut EP 'Shake' last year, Advertisement Los Angeles singer-songwriter Samia brings a clash of ethereal pop and indie folk to the House of Blues on Wednesday. Riley Dwyer Some of the finest funk and psychedelia in the country – nay, universe – touches down at the House of Blues on After supporting the European leg of embarks on her own headlining tour across North America, bringing her youthful pop-rock to Somerville savant Ezra Furman releases her tenth album 'Goodbye Small Head' – a reference to a Sleater-Kinney lyric – this Friday. Eleanor Petry NOW SPINNING Rico Nasty's third album "LETHAL" is a 15-track salvo of trap and rap – and on a few occasions, rabid nu-metal. Emerald Arguelles Rico Nasty, Advertisement 'Lucid Dreaming,' Tune-Yards's sixth studio album, unfurls a surrealistic plane of art-pop. Shervin Lainez Tune-Yards, BONUS TRACK has a new season of local 'n' live music on tap. Starting this weekend, the brewery's stage will host free performances from area musicians on Fridays and Saturdays; Victoria Wasylak can be reached at . Follow her on Bluesky @
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Little Free Library Announces 2025 Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement
From brothers in New York to an antiracist steward in Alabama, winners of the seventh-annual awards share an abundance of book joy ST. PAUL, Minn., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Little Free Library® (LFL) nonprofit organization is proud to announce the recipients of the seventh annual Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement honoring six exceptional individuals and organizations that exemplify LFL's mission to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access for all. This announcement coincides with Little Free Library Week, a global celebration taking place May 11–17. Since its founding, Little Free Library has inspired thousands of volunteers around the world to become stewards—dedicated caretakers of book-sharing boxes who champion literacy and connection in their communities. "Volunteer stewards are the heartbeat of the Little Free Library network," said LFL Executive Director Greig Metzger. "They are literacy champions, community builders and beacons of generosity who transform simple book-sharing boxes into powerful symbols of hope and connection. The Todd H. Bol Award for Outstanding Achievement honors those whose extraordinary efforts uplift neighborhoods and ignite a lifelong love of reading." The winners are: Irene Barton and Cobb Collaborative of Smyrna, Georgia, who partnered with community organizations, faith communities, schools, municipalities, scouts and neighborhoods to install more than 70 Little Free Library book-sharing boxes across Cobb County, Georgia. "We transfer stewardship to a hyper-local representative when we can," said Barton, "but are so pleased to serve as stewards for these libraries. Our community partners know that they can always call upon us if needed to help with a repair, replenish books or answer questions." Kristen Berthiaume of Homewood, Alabama, who launched the Antiracist Little Free Library to raise racial-violence awareness after the murder of George Floyd. Although Berthiaume is often asked if she receives negative feedback from fellow Alabama residents, the response has been largely positive. "We believe strongly in the power of education and self-reflection to help us develop empathy, grow in understanding of ourselves and the world around us, and provide a pathway towards a more racially just future," Berthiaume said. Katie Frazier of Warwick, Rhode Island, a former Roger Williams Park Zoo employee who established a Little Free Library as part of the zoo's nature playscape. The zoo is in a low-income area, considered a book desert, so it offers monthly free-admission days for city residents. "I've noticed a record number of books taken on the Free Day, in comparison to any other day of the month," Frazier said. A Little Free Library steward and connoisseur, she has visited more than 3,750 libraries in 48 U.S. states and has shared more than 4,200 books. Ethan and Jackson Levenstien of Dix Hills, New York, brothers who started the "Little Lev Library" to address the lack of book access for children from financially struggling families in their community. Ethan (13) and Jackson (11) coordinated a book drive that collected more than 2,000 books and won a $500 grant to start the Little Lev Library. "Its name holds a special meaning to us," said Ethan. "'Lev,' in addition to being short for our last name, means 'heart' in Hebrew, and it fills our hearts when we read and share with others…. We love books and believe reading should be for everyone." Reyna Macias of East Los Angeles, California, who launched Casita Tiahui Library with her family during the pandemic to foster community in a time of profound isolation. The library, adorned with hand-painted designs inspired by Mexican tiles and inscribed with bilingual quotes, has become a powerful symbol of connection in East Los Angeles. "I've seen children rush over after school, grandparents bring their grandchildren during quiet afternoon walks, and neighbors—both familiar and new—stopping to chat when I'm outside," Macias said. "Casita Tiahui doesn't just offer books—it offers a sense of belonging." Madison Reading Project of Madison, Wisconsin, an organization that offers free books and literacy resources that ignite a love for reading and reflect the diversity of young readers. The Madison Reading Project works with partner organizations to help install, stock, and steward a network of Little Free Libraries and credits their volunteers with keeping the program running. The org recently installed a Little Free Library of their own at their book center. "It has been such a joy to watch community members spot it from across the parking lot and change their course to select a book." The Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement—part of the Little Free Library Week celebration—are named for LFL's founder, Todd Bol, who created the first Little Free Library book-sharing box in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin, and passed away unexpectedly in 2018. This is the seventh year the awards have been presented, and LFL will continue to honor Bol's memory for years to come. Before his passing, Bol said: "I really believe in a Little Free Library on every block and a book in every hand. I believe people can fix their neighborhoods, fix their communities, develop systems of sharing, learn from each other, and see that they have a better place on this planet to live." Read more about this year's Todd H. Bol Award winners and see their photos: Learn about Little Free Library Week, May 11-17: ABOUT LITTLE FREE LIBRARYLittle 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 200,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, in 128 countries and on all 7 continents. Through them, over 400 million books have been shared since 2009. 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. To learn more, visit Media Contact: Margret Aldrich / 715-690-2488 x805 / maldrich@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Little Free Library Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Good intention, but wrong solution, Kansas police say
OAKLEY, Kan. (KSNW) — A woman looking for books in a Little Free Library box found something that should not have been there. Right next to the children's book 'The Little Engine That Could' was the drug used to treat drug overdoses. The woman said it was the second time this week someone had put naloxone in one of Oakley's mini libraries. Kansas declares emergency, waives trucking hours for fuel She was concerned that little children use the libraries and might try to open the opioid-overdose antidote. She took the kits out and gave them to law enforcement. It prompted the Oakley Police Department to post a message on social media. Police say someone had good intentions, but the wrong solution. 'While we understand the importance of this lifesaving drug and we appreciate the fact that someone out there wishes for it to be readily accessible for people in need, placing it in places readily available for children is not acceptable,' the department said. Everyone has access to the little libraries, including children who are naturally curious. Police say children might open the naloxone box and mess with it. The Oakley Police Department said naloxone is said to have no adverse effects, even if it is not needed. However, there are still concerns about allergies and other issues if children get their hands on it. Drug Addiction: Where to Find Help Police ask that if you find naloxone in a Little Free Library, take it to the police department. 'To whomever is putting it in these places, thank you for caring about the people who need it, but PLEASE refrain from placing it in areas that are accessible to children,' the post goes on to say. 'Naloxone also needs to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment so placing it in these boxes will essentially ruin the medication and it will not help anyone who needs it anyway.' The department asks that you call the police if you find an unknown substance in a public place. Officers have gloves and training to handle unknown substances. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
