Throughout Milford you are never that far away from a good read. With locations at the Milford Train Station, the YMCA, Gulf Beach and the Firehouse Art Gallery, The Little Libraries Project offers 24/7 access to a variety of genres, with the tagline “take a book, return a book” as a way to promote community and literacy.
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“It’s a gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, it is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share,” said project coordinator Lisa Thornell.
The Little Libraries Project is sponsored by the Friends of Milford Library, a non-profit organization that raises funds to support Milford Library programs. In early 2015, Thornell and a committee of members began the project after seeking inspiration from Wisconsin’s Little Free Library Movement. The artful and unique boxes are modeled after their locations and were designed by local residents.
“Jack Button built the cheerful yellow Little Library at the YMCA ball fields and the blue boat-shaped library in front of Firehouse Art Gallery. Jack is a retired engineer and put in a lot of time and talent into the project, along with his wife, Lois,” remarked Thornell. “Pat Simon built the Gulf Beach Little Library and his grandchildren painted it with a beach theme. I love that a family from the Gulf Beach area designed this library together.”
Each little library is stewarded by members of the Friends of Milford Library to ensure that the boxes are maintained and fully stocked.
According to Thornell, children’s picture books and non-fiction are popular choices and the train station location also offers magazines for commuters on the go. The project, now in its second summer, continues to gain traffic amongst residents, with plans for “pop up” events to promote their use.
“I have witnessed a warm response from community members and as a result of the project met some wonderful people,” remarked Thornell. “Little Libraries are conversation starters; they build a sense of community.”