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Page 14 May 2018 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
Thurmont May Get Small Libraries
James Rada, Jr.
Thurmont may soon get a number libraries will be built and painted
of new libraries in the town. The by students in Frederick County
catch is that all of them will be no Public School’s SUCCESS Program
larger than a few square feet. and will display the Civitan Club
The Catoctin Area Civitan Club logo. SUCCESS is a program for
would like to place a Little Free special needs students, ages eighteen
Library at each of the town parks to twenty-one, who have completed
near a bench, as well as the state and four years towards a Maryland High
federal parks and the little parks in School Certificate of Completion. It
developments. helps transition them into society.
The Little Free Library movement The underlying idea behind Little
began in 2009,with Todd Bol in Free Libraries is to give people easy
Hudson, Wisconsin. He built a access to books to encourage them to
model of a one-room schoolhouse read. Little Free Libraries can’t replace
and filled it with books as a way to public and school libraries, but they
honor his mother. She had been a can supplement them, giving children
teacher who loved reading. The idea and adults more ways to get their
was an immediate hit, as friends hands on reading materials and their
and neighbors began borrowing noses buried in books.
and returning books. Sometimes, One of the nice things about the
they returned the same book they Little Free Libraries is that the books
had borrowed; sometimes it was a each one carries can be tailored to the
different one. The idea soon spread, preferences of the person running the
and now Little Free Libraries can be library.
found in every state and roughly two However, as patrons leave behind
dozen countries. Frederick County new books, users may find the types
also has them. of books shifting to reflect the users’
“I see these everywhere I go,” said tastes rather than the owners’. The
Mayor John Kinnaird. “I’ve actually Grifols plasma donation center
stopped and utilized two of them.” in Frederick has agreed to donate
Club President-Elect Ginger books that can stock the libraries. A
Malone came up with the idea after Frederick High School teacher and
seeing other Little Free Libraries in other individuals have also made
Frederick County. She also has a book donations.
non-verbal nephew, who loves having Ideally, once stocked, a Little Free
books read to him. Library should operate on its own,
“Reading is everything for the with each book being removed being
kids,” Malone said. replaced by another book. Weller said
By placing the libraries near a that she occasionally checks to make
park bench, it will be easy for parents sure that there are enough books and
to stop during a walk or have their to sometimes add new books.
children take a break from playing to There are more than 60,000
read a story. registered Little Free Libraries in
It is not limited to organizations more than 80 countries that loan
like the Civitan Club. Anyone can millions of books, annually. If you are
start their own Little Free Library. traveling and want to see if there is a
While you can buy plans and kits Little Free Library near you, you can
to build a Little Free Library, some search the Little Free Library website
people decide to be original and (littlefreelibrary.org), where you can
build a library that reflects their search by town or zip code to find the
personalities. The Civitan Clubs closest libraries near you.
