A new resource for young and not-so-young learners is available in Menands thanks to a community effort within the Menands Union Free School District.
The Menands School Little Free Library opened Oct. 15 outside the school, which is located on Wards Lane in the village.
Open to the public, the Little Free Library is run on a “take a book, leave a book” premise where anyone can borrow a book, take a book, or leave a book for the community, Menands School Librarian Alexandra Gibson said.
The library is the brainchild of Gibson who brought her idea to Technology Teacher Chuck Nagel, who constructed the library.
“I wanted to provide students with additional opportunities to read and gain a love of reading. I also wanted to make sure that any student that wanted a book could have one,” she said.
With the assistance of School Resource Officer P.J. Stone and Superintendent Jennifer Cannavo, the district purchased the supplies necessary for the Menands School Little Free Library to take its place outside the school.
“This was truly a community effort,” said Cannavo. “Now, we hope the broader community enjoys this new resource and that it opens a new chapter for literacy in the community.”
The first book was donated even before the library took its place outside the school.
“Friends and Mates in Fifty States” was sent to the school for the library by the nonprofit organization, FACEPAINT.
“We want this free library to help our students and community continue on a path of enlightenment and knowledge,” Stone said.
The Little Free Library movement started in Wisconsin about 15 years ago and has spread to every state in the United States and all continents with the exception of Antarctica.
Anyone interested in donating books to the Menands School Little Free Library can do so by leaving them in the library or at the school’s front desk.