Resident Brings Little Free Library To Founder's Oak Park

Photo credit: Cartersville Main Street Program

Cartersville residents and visitors looking for a new good book to read may now head to downtown for their next novel.

A Little Free Library has been installed next to the fountain at Founder’s Oak Park, which sits near Cartersville City Hall.

Initiated by local residents who wanted to honor their mother while also providing a worthwhile amenity to our community, Little Free Library offers roughly 50 books that visitors may peruse and then take and read as they desire at no cost, the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority said in a press release.

Books may be passed along to friends or family, or returned to the Little Free Library for someone else to enjoy.

Donna McCue-Carlson and her sister felt that providing a Little Free Library to their community would also serve as a nice tribute to their mother, Loretta Fishel, who has volunteered in Cartersville for numerous organizations and causes. The Little Free Library would provide their mother an ongoing volunteer project, and also help share an exciting tool for literacy with others throughout the community.

Carlson said she became interested in the initiative when she visited a neighboring city. After reading about the project on the Internet and discussing with her sister about it, Carlson said ”we knew this was what we wanted to have made for our mother’s upcoming birthday.

“Our mother has always had a love for reading, and very much enjoys doing things for others in the community, so we thought this would be perfect to honor her with a gift that keeps on giving,” she added. “We knew it would bring her much joy to be able to spread literacy through free books to others in our community.”

Little Free Library began in Wisconsin in 2009 as a tribute to Todd Bol’s mother, who was a former school teacher. He built a model of a one room school house and filled it with books and placed in his yard for friends and neighbors to enjoy. Now, there are more than 15,000 Little Free Libraries around the world, offering the same sentiment – free books for anyone to enjoy.

The libraries are great because residents can pick up a book any time they like, Carlson added.

“We thought this would be a great area for Cartersville’s first Little Free Library because you can come enjoy the fountain, sit, and read a story to your children,“ she said. “The books are here for everyone’s enjoyment so please feel free to take, trade, or drop off a book.”

After seeking approval from the Cartersville City Council at their meeting last week, the Little Free Library was officially installed and made available on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Fishel, as well as other family members, will maintain the Little Free Library, ensuring that it stays filled with books for the community to enjoy, and that the content of the books are satisfactory.

Cartersville Main Street Manager Tara Currier added she believed the amenity is a “wonderful” addition to the downtown area. 

“What a wonderful gesture by this family, to provide a free, educational offering for our community,“ she added. “I hope that people get good use of the Little Free Library, and that we may see even more people enjoying the fountain area in Founder’s Oak Park, now with a good book in hand.”

Visit Little Free Library’s website to learn more information and view a list of its locations.