All over St. Augustine you may have noticed little structures that look like a cross between an adorable birdhouse and a mailbox. These boxes — called Free Little Libraries — entertain, educate, and enthrall the entire community. Two separate organizations successfully partnered to stock St. Augustine with a plethora of unique libraries. One of the most endearing aspects of the program is how the ‘libraries’ themselves reflect the creative sparks of the makers and the location they inhabit. Each unit holds about 25-30 books and contains reads for all ages.
In 2014, the Junior Service League chose to build five little libraries as their provisional project. In recognition of National Library Week, they joined with the SJC Library to complete the mission. “We wanted to bring the wonderful world of books to the community,” says Bethany Kirk, a partner in the project. “The ‘little libraries’ were taking off all over the country at the time, and we felt it would be an excellent project for us. The library agreed to maintain the libraries and keep them well stocked via the bookmobile.”
The project worked well for the Junior Service League project as they divided up into five groups. Manning Building Supply made the structures, and each group individualized them according to locations. Bethany says, “I helped create the one for the St. Augustine Beach Pier. We themed it to look like a beach house complete with seashells and netting. We chose beach-themed colors as well. It is so fun to see them when I’m at the beach and to see children and adults choosing books from them to read while enjoying their day at the beach. We were so honored to pair with our county library system who were amazing to work with.”
More recently, the Sunrise Rotary and the Learn to Read Program of St. Johns County teamed up with a goal to build ten little libraries around the county. Carolyn Mudgette sparked the idea and spearheaded the program by pitching the idea to the Rotary Club and securing a $1,000 grant. To build the units, she contacted Mike Rosenberg, the Construction Technologies teacher at Pedro Menendez High School. So far eight unique, brightly-painted ‘libraries’ have been erected and found sponsors. “If someone doesn’t have transportation to a library,” says Carolyn, “the funds to buy books, or for some reason cannot get a library card, they can still have access to books. Even though we may never know who we inspire to a lifetime love of learning and reading, if one person ‘gets it’ then it has been worth it.”
Visit these locations around St. Augustine:
Junior Service League with the St. Johns County Library System
- Pier Park, 350 A1A Beach Boulevard
- Crescent Beach Pavilion, Vilano Road
- Treaty Park, 1595 Wildwood Drive
- Fire Station 14, 1255 West King Street
- St. Johns County Homeless Coalition, 62 Chapin Street
Sunrise Rotary with Learn to Read of St. Johns County
- Learn to Read, 70 South Dixie Highway
- Boys & Girls Club, 555 West King Street
- Smokin’ D’s, 110 State Road 206 & 1409 Ponce de Leon Boulevard
- Lincolnville Community Garden, Eddie Vickers Park
- Wildflower Clinic, 268 Herbert Street
- Southern Horticulture, 1690 A1A South
- St. Augustine Humane Society, 1665 Old Moultrie Road
- SEA Community Resource Center, 6408 Armstrong Road, Elkton
Visit the Junior Service League online at www.jslofstaugustine.org, the St. Johns County Library online at www.sjcpls.org, the Sunrise Rotary online at www.staugustinesunriserotary.com, and Learn to Read of St. Johns County online at www.learntoreadstjohns.org.
Photography by Brian Miller
