Little Free Library organizers hope to enrich Eleva literary availability
by Doug Sands
Contributor
Readers in the city limits of Eleva and beyond have a new source of reading material to utilize this holiday season as a “Little Free Library” has come to the town.
On Friday, Dec. 12, middle school students from Eleva-Strum gathered with program coordinators in Eleva to put in place a “Little Free Library.”This unique library space operates differently than most libraries, but the goal is still the same; to encourage readers both young and old to continue to enjoy books even when other sources of material are not available. The Little Free Library is a place where neighbors can come together to share their favorite literature.
The idea behind the Little Free Library is simple: those who want to read a book may simply take one from the box, exchanging one of their own for someone else to read. There is not any method of keeping track of the books; the organizers trust that local readers will honorably utilize the opportunity this library brings.
Donna Traaseth, the coordinator of Eleva’s Little Free Library, explained that the project has been in the works for quite some time. Traaseth first got the idea for a local free library after seeing coverage for another Little Free Library in the area.
“Encouraging life-long reading is fundamental to the success of children, and adults as well,” Traaseth said. “Children tend to lose reading skills over the summer if they do not have access to books, so we are hoping a library will help bridge that gap over the summer months.”
Traaseth also noted that the library is not just for use by children. Adults are fully welcome to make use of the books.
Eleva used to have a public library, though it was closed years ago. With its rich history of promoting family literacy, Traaseth felt Eleva would be a great location for the new twist on a library.
The project for making the library started taking shape during the 2013-14 school year. Traaseth approached student leaders in the 7th grade about bringing a Little Free Library to Eleva. They were enthusiastic, and so began the project.
As the details of the work unfolded, the group contacted local community members to plan out the coming library. Community members Duke Berg and Ron Traaseth agreed to build the physical structure of the library. Donna Traaseth took on the responsibility of acquiring an official charter number for the library from the Little Free Library organization. Jim and Lois Anderson of Eleva agreed to have the library itself placed on the edge of their property on Second Avenue in Eleva.
The middle school students themselves began to gather books to be included in the library. They asked their peers to donate books they no longer used. Soon, the students had enough to start off the library strong.
The week previous to the planned opening of the little library gave organizing students the chance to present their efforts to their peers. The five middle school students involved put together a presentation to encourage their fellow students to make use of the library.
That Friday, Traaseth and four of the students traveled to Eleva to officially put the library in place. Once the structure was up, they filled it with the books they had gathered, and turned the Little Free Library loose. They hope community members come out to take a look at what this library can offer, and they encourage readers to make use of the materials inside.
Donna Traaseth encouraged anyone interested in making a donation or who may have questions regarding the library to contact her via phone at 715-695-2696, ext. 2181, or via e-mail at through her address with Eleva-Strum schools.
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Sands has been a student writer and contributor for nearly two years. When not writing for the newspaper or taking classes at Eleva-Strum, Sands can be found taking part in a nearby musical production or reconstructing the past with friends in history club. Follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook page for more updates!
