Little, Free, Expanding to the D: Little Free Libraries working toward 313 new locations in Detroit
by David Wesley
Kim Kozlowski and her husband Jeff Bennett, along with close friend and collaborator Cindy Dyson-McGlenn, planted the seeds of literacy from metropolitan Ferndale that now branch all the way to downtown Detroit. Their homespun project, ‘Detroit Little Libraries,’ first sprouted in Ferndale in the form of a small wooden lawn-side box and are growing into a crop of 313 (memorializing the iconoclastic Detroit area code) mini libraries for everyone hungry for a book.
What is a “Little Library?” Participating homes put a small wooden box in their yard, and leave books for people to share. You are encouraged to take the books home and leave some of yours for others.
Kim and Jeff’s efforts, along with invaluable supporters like Cindy Dyson-McGlenn, have gifted Detroit neighborhoods with a splash of literary color. These little boxes, burgeoning with books, refresh the idea of community gathering and the allure of literature.
Now seeking more donations and grants to build more little libraries around the Detroit Metro area, their humble project has grown into a multi-city philanthropic project for everyone.
Kim gave Ferndale Friends an update on the project and the domino effect following the libraries’ routes.
Q. How has the Detroit Little Libraries grown since its inception?
A. The idea was born shortly after my husband and I put up a Little Free Library in front of our house in Ferndale, on Jewell Street. It caused a sensation in the neighborhood. The Little Free Library became a little town square, and we thought it would be cool to replicate this kind of community gathering spot in Detroit. With so much energy being infused in Detroit’s comeback, we thought it was a perfect time to flip the city’s many negative monikers – including the murder capital – and crown it The Little Free Library Capital.
The founder of the Little Free Library, Todd Bol, heard about the campaign and gave the city 20 little libraries to kick off the project. We raised $4,220 during our crowd funding campaign and got a $1,000 donation just yesterday from a former Detroiter now living in Alaska. That’s enough to build at least 12 more little libraries that we expect to plant before the end of the year.
Q. Given how the project has grown, what do you think its future will look like?
A. We hope to see Little Free Libraries installed all over the city. We are applying for grants from foundations and plan to approach businesses for support in the near future. It is our hope that the Detroit Little Libraries will become catalysts for reading and community building.
Q. What are your ultimate goals with the project?
A. Reading is so fundamental to our journey in life. It improves our physical health and mental wellbeing, expands our imagination and critical thinking and transports us to so many places. Even more important, it
expands our vocabulary and our ability to communicate and connect with others. Ultimately, words in our arsenal help determine our trajectory in life.
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