CHESTER'S LITTLE FREE LIBRARY

Written By
Amelia Alminde 
Laina Burgo 
Kaely Cristello 
Ashley Long

“Take a book, leave a book” is the slogan for the Chester Little Free Library located on the corner of 17th and Melrose Ave. A group of education majors from Widener University brought this library to life. They created it to ensure that children in the community had access to books despite their school, Stester, not having a formal library. They added new and diverse books so that the children had a wide range from which to choose. The Little Free Library created a way for children and community members of all ages to read both in and out of the classroom. Community members are able to take or donate a book at any time of the day, making the library easily accessible. 

The library functions as a book exchange. It allows people to take books that interest them, and when they are finished reading, either return the same book or donate a new book to the library. This library box helps expand people’s literacy and promotes generosity among the community. It also allows people within the same community to find similar interests when it comes to books, allowing the community to gain more than just literacy, but become closer knit as well. Perhaps the community can come together and discuss the books they read. 

The library is a great addition to the community because it helps build a sense of belonging and brings people together. Once one is finished reading a book, they can donate it to the library, adding to its diverse collection. They can then take a free book and enjoy reading about many new topics. This process allows people to read a variety of books for a very low, or even no, price at all. In addition, these libraries are for all age ranges, allowing anyone in the community to find something that they would enjoy.  

A library like this is generally low maintenance once put up and started. The donations of books that fill the shelves of these libraries are just the start. Once this is accomplished, not much work is needed to be done by the person who started the libraries except to make sure there are consistently books on the shelves for the community. This would mean that these libraries are primarily easy to maintain, making them something that could last for years.   

We call upon the Widener community to get involved! There is sometimes a shortage of books due to the lack of consistent returns so any and all book donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. If you have any questions regarding Chester’s Little Free Library or would like to donate books, you can contact senior education majors Julia Cirone and Abby Hicks who are currently helping to organize and take care of the little library. Your donation of books will be stamped and left inside the library for the community to enjoy.

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Methods of contact:  

Julia Cirone: jmcirone@widener.edu  

Abby Hicks: arhicks@widener.edu