Free Library box
In early 2024, three 5th graders at McAlister Intermediate School, Olivia Coombs, Phoebe Sherman, and Hamda Asim read a story called Little Libraries, Big Heroes by Miranda Paul. The book tells the story of Todd Bol, the man who inspired a movement that eventually brought 75,000 mini libraries to people around the world. Inspired by the story, the girls worked with their teacher, Mrs. Longo, to build their very own Free Little Library for McAlister students. Using nothing but cardboard, paint, a little hardware and a lot of determination, along with the supervision and support of Custodian Deb Grob, they built a School Bus mini-library. Stocked full of books, students passing through the main hallway could easily pick up a good book or leave one for a friend.
A few months later, inspired by their hard work, I began to wonder if we could expand this idea and serve not just McAlister’s students, but the larger community of Suffield. With this idea, the Free Little Library Club was born. Thanks to the generosity of the Meghan Voisine Kindness Matters Fund, we received everything we needed to construct a Free Little Library for the front of McAlister school. The grant even included dozens of hard covered books to stock the library. The books focus on kindness and inclusivity, thanks to Milo Graham and his work on the “Helping You Help Us” project which aimed to help elementary school students embrace the diversity around them. It is the intention of the Free Little Library Club to ensure that the Free Little Library is always full of good reads for the Suffield community. As you are walking down Mountain Road, take a minute and check it – and a book – out. There are now 75,001 mini libraries in the world.