FAIRBORN — Downtown Fairborn just added a Little Free Library, a structure that lends out books free of charge. It operates on a leave-a-book, take-a-book model.
The library is located in the back of My Mother’s Memories, an antique store, 25 East Main Street. The placement of the Little Free Library was made possible by Third Story Literacy Project, a nonprofit component of Greene Giving. Within the first day, the library was utilized a number of times.
Jane Helton, the owner and operator of My Mother’s Memories, said customers love the idea. Included on the shelves of the Little Free Library are plenty of children’s books, novels and even some advanced reader copies of books not yet available for sale.
Third Story Literacy Project is the work of Amber and Ryan Ireland, who co-founded and chair the committee. The project coordinates the efforts of other nonprofits, businesses, and municipal governments to make sure that “people are always within reach of books.”
“People realize the value of books,” Amber Ireland said. “Providing books for free is one of the most effective ways to improve a community.”
The first initiative of Third Story Literacy Project is to build 100 Little Free Libraries across the Miami Valley by the end of 2018. The library in My Mother’s Memories is a part of the project. The list of partners involved with the project is growing and includes the City of Xenia, Mike’s Bike Park of Dayton, One Bistro and the Village of Clifton.
For more information about Third Story Literacy Project, visit the website at www.thirdstoryliteracyproject.org/
