Warren City School District has placed “book sharing” boxes throughout the city, on previous elementary school sites, and filled them with new and gently used books to encourage and ignite a citywide love for reading.
Our “Little Neighborhood Libraries” project was inspired, in part, by the national “Little Free Library” initiative.
“During this uncertain time, it is even more important for families to actively participate in reading experiences with their children,” said Karin Kilpatrick, a WCSD Title I Family Outreach Coordinator.
“The circumstances of the pandemic may have limited our exposure to school and/or libraries, but we are determined to offer our families opportunities to share books and literacy activities in order to accelerate our students’ reading achievements. Good reading is the key to a successful future for all of us.”
Bob Lewis, a WCSD carpenter, repaired several old boxes formerly used by the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, which, in collaboration with Karin Kilpatrick, established a Little Library program in the city several years ago. The district has now taken over ownership/maintenance of the Little Libraries that are on school properties and added others. Kilpatrick, along with Kevin Stringer, a WCSD Title I Parent/Family Engagement Coordinator, help maintain the libraries by making sure they are filled with books for the community to access.
Lewis crafted new boxes to accommodate additional books so the program could be expanded to serve more families.
You can find a WCSD Little Neighborhood Library on one of these sites:
- DEVON SCHOOL SITE: 833 Central Parkway SE
- DICKEY AVENUE SCHOOL SITE: Dickey Avenue near Ward Street
- EMERSON SCHOOL SITE: Corner of Drexel Avenue NW and Moncrest Drive NW
- GARFIELD SCHOOL SITE: Woodland Street NW near Perkinswood Blvd. NE
- HORACE MANN SCHOOL SITE: York Ave near Jackson Street
- LAIRD AVENUE SCHOOL SITE: Bonnie Brae near Grandview Street
- ROOSEVELT SCHOOL SITE: Roosevelt Ave near the Community Garden Sign (not as pictured)
- McKINLEY SCHOOL SITE: Hollywood NE between Mazda and Elm Road
- SECREST SCHOOL SITE: Bennett Street near Northwest Blvd.
How it works:
- Take a walk, or a ride, to your Little Neighborhood Library.
- Browse through the books and other materials.
- Find something you like? Take it home with you.
- Finished? Return the books and materials … please be neat and keep boxes tidy!
We ask that you help us keep the library and the materials in good order.
- You may donate quality, gently used books to your Little Neighborhood Library in order to keep a lively collection and offer a variety of choices to readers.
- Donated books should be clean, in good repair and cover appropriate topics and language for a community library collection.
For more information, please contact Karin Kilpatrick at 330-841-2321 ext. 7211.
