By Evan Bentley
Community members around Madison County will begin noticing Little Free Libraries—small wooden bookcases serving as free public book exchanges. Funded by a grant from Read Across America, the project aims to foster a love of reading and improve literacy rates.
“Being a School of Opportunity means ensuring education is within reach for everyone,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “By placing Little Free Libraries across Madison County, EKU embodies our commitment to community service, fostering learning and expanding access to knowledge and literacy.”
The project began when the EKU members of the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) Aspiring Educators chapter successfully secured a grant from Read Across America to build and stock a single Little Free Library. From there, the vision expanded. By the spring of 2023, Assistant Professors Dr. William Thornburgh, Dr. Tim Jansky and Dr. Jamie-Marie Miller were collaborating with organizations including Ignite Academy, Richmond Parks and Recreation and the EKU Alumni Chapter of Pi Beta Phi. With additional funding from the EKU Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, the team is now installing more Little Free Libraries throughout the county.
The first library was unveiled on April 30, at Irvine McDowell Park, marking the beginning of a series of installations. The unveiling event was met with enthusiasm from the local community, setting a precedent for the project's future impact on Madison County.
“This project demonstrates how committed EKU faculty are to Madison County and the Richmond community,” said Dr. Elizabeth Smith, dean of Education and Applied Human Sciences. “We live here and work here and raise our families here; we are deeply committed to improving literacy in our region, both through preparing and supporting excellent teachers and through initiatives like the Little Free Libraries. This project is especially exciting because it is a collaborative effort between our future teachers, EKU faculty and community members."
According to Thornburgh, at least six additional Little Free Libraries will be placed around Madison County in the coming months, with three slated for city parks, bringing the total to seven.
“We are hopeful that community members will take advantage of the various locations,” said Thornburgh. “This could be by taking a book to read or leaving new books for other families.”
The project aims to enhance out-of-school reading, known to improve academic performance among students. By offering diverse reading materials, the initiative also seeks to cultivate a culture of reading in Madison County.
“Getting books into people’s hands has been a personal mission of mine for 12 years,” said Jansky, reflecting on his previous efforts as a high school English teacher. “During the summers, my wife, friends and I provided books to children in our neighborhood. Summer reading loss is a real phenomenon, and it impacts the kids most in need of reading support.”
Since the first installation, the Little Free Library at Irvine McDowell Park has been stocked with a diverse range of books suitable for all ages. Faculty members and community partners have generously donated books, ensuring a rotating selection of fresh reading material. The wooden bookcases themselves have been built by Madison County School students at Ignite Academy.
“Something that started with a grant and a desire to do something small to improve literacy has morphed into a much larger, more impactful project,” said Thornburgh. “We were able to grow this to a level that brought us an additional grant, more partnerships and service to the community, which we are all very proud of.”