IC couple opens first 'Little Free Library' in Iowa
22.05.12
Updated at 7:50 p.m. with UNESCO City of Literature information.
IOWA CITY – Christine Rohret’s front yard is of the average sort: home to a few trees, shrubs – and now a library.
Rohret is steward to Iowa’s first Little Free Library , a small structure that looks a bit like an oversized birdhouse. The miniature barn holds 25-30 books and opened to the public two weeks ago for free book exchange or borrowing.
The front yard library at 2305 Banbury St. NE, is one of hundreds like it in the United States and more than a dozen other countries as part of the Little Free Library non-profit organization. Run by a “tiny group of volunteers,” the project started in Hudson, Wis., and aims to promote literacy and a love for books, according to the website.
That’s exactly what Rohret said she hopes her mini library will do as well.
“I just see it as another avenue for promoting literacy, and it’s a fun way for all ages,” said Rohret, 61, who teaches part-time at Clear Creek Amana.
Source: Eastern Iowa Life