NEWS

NEWBERRY — Little Free Libraries are a global phenomenon. The small book exchanges number more than 150,000 around the world in over 100 countries — from Iceland to Tasmania to Pakistan. Now, a new Little Free Library at the edge of the Setzler Field parking lot at Newberry College will join the movement to share books, bring people together and create communities of readers.

This new Little Free Library will be the eighth in the Newberry area, according to littlefreelibrary.org. This Little Free Library will be unique in its initial focus on books for adults. The stewards for this project, Angie and David Rachels, initially wanted to put up a Little Free Library in their yard to share with their neighborhood the books they had finished reading. “We are true believers in passing along books rather than collecting them in our house where no one else can read them,” they said.

However, they quickly realized that the library might not get much traffic at their house. After exploring all the Little Free Libraries in Newberry, they reached out to Newberry College for a collaboration. With the support of the College’s president, Maurice Scherrens, and library director, Reid Austin, they went looking for a good structure.

The Rachelses approached Andrew Wigger '13, then publisher of The Newberry Observer. Wigger was eager to help, and the Observer was able to provide a newspaper vending machine that was no longer in use. AJ Rusnak, physical plant director at Newberry College, was dedicated to making the machine usable and attractive. This collaboration now results in a new spot in our community for people to find and share books, all sponsored by Newberry College and The Newberry Observer.

Located between the sidewalk along College Street and the parking lot on the west side of Setzler Field, this Little Free Library will serve the people of Newberry as well as the employees and students of Newberry College. People are encouraged to browse and borrow. While the adage “take a book, share a book” is the default on any Little Free Library charter plaque, everyone is encouraged to treat those directions separately. Take a book if you find one you’re interested in. Share a book that you want to pass along to someone else, or return one when you’re finished. The stewards will curate the collection, keeping the books in order, adding to the collection themselves and removing titles that have been in residence too long.

This is the second Little Free Library at Newberry College. The first, located on the front lawn of the Center for Teacher Education, focuses on books for young people. The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation and the American Library Association for its work in promoting literacy and a love of reading. To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.