Reading is an important life skill and a very enjoyable hobby for many people. Yankton’s readers have some new resources to find books: Little Free Libraries and the Big Red Bookshelf.
Little Free Libraries
Tracy Dutrow loves books, and she loves sharing books with her neighbors through her Little Free Library on the corner of Mulberry and James Place in Yankton.
Little Free Libraries are neighborhood book exchanges with the motto: ”Take a book, return a book.” The mission of the Little Free Library is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide, to build a sense of community as readers share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.
“I read about Little Free Libraries years ago and thought it would be really fun to have one,” she said.
Last winter, Dutrow read an article about the Yankton High School’s tech ed program building Little Free Libraries as a class project. Dutrow contacted high school teacher Bob Muth and went to pick one out.
“I picked one that has little gutters and is white with brick that matches my house,” she said. “It is really cute.”
Once she installed it in her yard she had to fill it with books.
“I was really fortunate that a number of people donated books to help me,” she said. “I have a large collection of children’s books so I try to keep the library stocked with half adult and half children’s books.”
Dutrow actually wants to expand her children’s books offerings, so she talked her husband into building another Little Free Library that will house only children’s books.
“It’s really cute, shaped like a barn and quite a bit bigger than the original library,” she said.
Dutrow said people’s enthusiasm for the Little Free Library is the best part of having it in her yard.
“For example, the day we were setting it up, a vehicle stopped on the road and a woman came running up to me and she said she was so excited to see the library. She gave me a book because she said she wanted to give me the first book for my library,” Dutrow said. “It wasn’t even on the post or anything. It was very cool.”
Dutrow doesn’t know how many people have visited her library, but she knows she has visitors because the grass is dying off in front of the library.
“Of course, that is completely fine,” she said. “I never really see anybody there because it is set up on the side of my house, which is what I wanted. I didn’t want people to think I am spying on them.”
Recently, while working in her back yard, Dutrow said she heard some visitors to her library.
“I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I could hear them talking,” she said. “It was a couple, and at one point I heard the woman say clearly, ‘And make sure you measure it.’ It really made me smile because it made me think my library might have inspired someone else to build one.”
Dutrow recently registered her Little Free Library with www.littlefreelibrary.org where it will be featured on the world map. Dutrow’s library was number 14,934.
“I really wanted to get on the website so people who are traveling through Yankton, maybe camping, will be able to stop and pick out a book,” she said. “They’d be able to drop it off at a different Little Free Library in the next town.”
Dutrow has also started a Facebook page called Yankton Little Free Library and is trying to find where other Little Free Libraries are located in the area.
“I’d really like to get pictures and information on all the Little Free Libraries in the area,” she said. “If you have one, you can contact me through the Facebook page.”
Dutrow said she would like to expand her Little Free Libraries even more to include games, seeds or other items community members might enjoy.
“I rotate the books and try to keep it fresh and put different things in,” she said. “I like to have a good mix of anything and everything in there. If anyone has an ideas or items they’d like to donate, I’d be happy to take them off their hands.”
Dutrow said she is very grateful to Bob Muth and his students for building the Little Free Library and providing her the opportunity to enjoy it every day.
For more information on Little Free Library, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.
Big Red Bookshelf
You may have noticed the Big Red Bookshelves around town stocked with children’s books.
United Way and Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton has partnered with the Yankton Area Literacy Council to create this initiative focusing on childhood literacy.
“United Way already offers Imagination Library, a program that offers books to children birth-5 years. It’s super successful and has about 700 kids enrolled at a time,” said Lauren Hanson, United Way Executive Director. “We found many of the previous enrollees in Imagination Library were wondering what they could do with the books their children had outgrown.”
Hanson said they brainstormed ways to recycle the books and get them into the hands of other children who would enjoy them.
“We really believe that increasing book ownership is important for children to foster literacy,” she said. “In November 2012, we began the Big Red Bookshelf program at a few locations.”
The program currently stocks books at five locations – Yankton Medical Clinic, Modern Woodmen, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital – Pediatric Unit, The Banquet and Fryn’ Pan Restaurant. The books are free to any children who want to pick one out.
The Fryn’ Pan location is the newest location and by far the most successful, Hanson said.
“We partnered with Yankton Morning Optimists to begin the Big Red Bookshelf at Fryn’ Pan,” she said. “We circulate more than 100 books per week at that location alone.”
Hanson said the best part of the program is the involvement of all types of volunteers.
“We have the Yankton Area Literacy Council keeping track of the books, volunteers stocking the shelves, Retired Senior Volunteer Program volunteers helping, the Yankton Morning Optimists, local businesses and individuals working together to make this program work,” she said.
Hanson said the goals of the Big Red Bookshelf are to increase book ownership by families, encourage parent-child interactions with books, involve community members in this literacy effort through book donations, and keep books circulating within the community.
“It’s been really successful and we’re really grateful for all the volunteers,” Hanson said. “We are constantly needing appropriate books to fill the shelves.”
Hanson said books may be dropped off at the United Way office, 610 W. 23rd St., Suite 11 or individuals or groups can pick up a book drive kit and host a book drive.
“We are looking for books that are appropriate for children through fifth grade,” she said. “We go through all the books and make sure they are in good shape and scratch off names and addresses that may be in the books and put a Big Red Bookshelf label on them.”
If you are interested in donating books, volunteering to stock books, hosting a book drive or allowing a Big Red Bookshelf in your business, contact United Way & Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton at 605-665-6766.
