The Little Free Library is open!

Cyndee Kaiser painting the
Little Free Library

Beaver Creek Reserve has installed its first Little Free Library near the head of the Storybook Nature Trail, next to the Wise Nature Center!

The Little Free Library program began in 2009, just miles away in Hudson, Wisconsin, as a way for Todd Bol, the original creator, to honor his mother, who was a school teacher. Soon after, this idea caught the attention of Rick Brooks at UW-Madison, and collaborating together, the Little Free Library program began, with the mission to “promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations.” The program accomplishes its mission by having people leave a book or take a book from each box that is installed. Though it started with a goal to build 2,510 Little Free Libraries, the program reached in goal in August 2012, a year and a half ahead of schedule, but it didn’t stop there. As of now, there are over 50,000 Little Free Libraries around the world.

The Little Free Library at Beaver Creek was built by a local Eagle Scout as part of his final project. Cyndee Kaiser generously donated her time once again to paint the Little Free Library, after having painted the mural in the 3M Fledgling Forest in the Wise Nature Center. The idea to put a Library here was brought in by Jeanette Kelly, who wished to honor her late father, Bruce Kelly, a lover of books, nature, and kids. Donations were made in his name to help build the Little Free Library at Beaver Creek. Currently, the Library at Beaver Creek is waiting for a charter number to be assigned and added to the map on the Little Free Library website, but it is already open for use by anyone. Come on down to Beaver Creek, leave a book for someone else, and take a new book to read for yourself.

Information about the Little Free Library program gathered from www.littlefreelibrary.org.