PHOTO BY CLAIRE FRANELL
Residents of Hermiston and the surrounding area are encouraged to visit the Little Free Library at Belt Park, where they can take a book and leave a different one in its place.
The Hermiston Altrusa Literacy Committee installed the Little Free Library in mid-March. It is a bright red box resembling a miniature British phone booth and can hold several dozen books.
Committee Co-Chair Angela Pursel says that members take turns checking on the library each week to make sure that it stays well stocked. She says there are two or three dozen in the box at any given time.
From children’s storybooks to mystery novels to works of nonfiction, the Little Free Library can hold books for any age group — and the selection is always changing. The Altrusa Literacy Committee is pleased with the community’s feedback so far.
“The children’s books are getting a lot of use,” said Pursel.
The Little Free Library program began in 2009 and has spread around the world. Author and Hermiston Altrusa Literacy Committee Co-Chair Karen Zacharias learned about the program during her travels.
“I just love the whimsy of it,” Zacharias said.
According to Pursel, the only issue with the library in Belt Park has been the sprinkler system. Little Free Library boxes are designed to keep out the rain, but this one is not yet entirely watertight.
“The city is working with us on that,” Pursel said.
To see more of what the Hermiston Altrusa Literacy Committee is doing, visit the club’s Facebook page. For more information on the history of Little Free Libraries or to find other library locations, go to the program website.
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