OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- Joey Kopnicky joined his sisters looking for books at the community’s newest Little Free Library in the Falls Pointe development.
Karen Gallagher, the library’s founder, was at the book-share site checking its contents and the bottle of hand sanitizer she keeps filled. As the Kopnicky children looked through the titles, Karen told them they could request specific books or topics.
“I would like some math books,” Joey said. “I like math.”
“Then I’ll look for some,” Karen said. “I don’t think we have any in there yet.”
Karen’s desire to establish a free book-share concept in her development has been simmering for a while. She has lived in the Falls Pointe development off Schady Road for 20 years. She saw the Little Free Library concept on a facebook page and kept it in the “back of my mind.”
She mentioned it to her father, Paul Hansen, who lived with Karen and her husband, Mike. His immediate reaction was, “I can build you one.” And with that comment, the work began.
Dan Brown, Vince Flynn, James Patterson, Rick Yancey, Dr. Seuss and Jeff Kinney are just some of the authors whose books are waiting for readers to borrow. (Joanne Berger DuMound, special to cleveland.com)
The Little Free Library is the world’s largest book-share movement, according to its website. It is a nonprofit organization that was created to inspire a love of reading, build community and “spark creativity” by fostering neighborhood book exchanges.
That is exactly what Karen, an avid reader, wanted to do. Prior to doing so, however, Karen had to receive the approval of members on the development’s homeowners' association board. Karen said they had some concerns, including collecting and displaying books during this COVID-19 outbreak. She did her homework, however, presented them answers to their questions and the quest began. More about that process later.
The nonprofit group encourages visitors to stop by any of its libraries, borrow a book to read and keep the book in circulation by giving it to others. A borrower isn’t required to return that exact book, but should donate one or more when able.
The library includes antibacterial hand sanitizer and a guest book to write comments or book requests. (Joanne Berger DuMound, special to cleveland.com)
The Little Free Library organization also offers plans, designs and kits to make a library. Karen’s dad, however, is quite a do-it-yourself person. He had wood from other projects he had completed at home. Karen said she looked at the website and others in the area.
“They are lovely, but modest. This is a big neighborhood. I wanted it to have a lot of books,” Karen said. “It had to be deep, able to handle the big children’s books and all types of weather. It is quite a very big one.”
Her dad designed and built the structure. Laurie Schand created the mural that dons the front of it, and Karen’s husband and a friend, Kevan Asadorian, installed it in front of the development’s clubhouse and pond on Falls Pointe Drive.
Added features to the weather-proof library are a hook on the front for a dog’s leash, a sensor light for night-time browsing, a bottle of hand sanitizer and a guest book in which visitors may suggest authors or subjects or to write a remark.
Karen Gallagher stands next to Falls Pointe development’s Little Free Library with donated books. The development is off Schady Road just of Usher Road. (Joanne Berger DuMound, special to cleveland.com)
The library holds about 70 books. The top shelf is for books for grownups and the lower one for young adults and children of all ages. She has received book donations from those who work at Fosbel Inc. -- her employer -- as well as from development residents, friends, family and people who have heard about it. She is ready to add another shelf in her basement, where she houses extra books.
Karen asks donors to drop books at her house, 9272 Lakeview Drive, so she can sanitize them. She has a book drop bin on her front porch. Just look for the Peace, Love, Books flag in front of her house -- the same design as the one next to the development’s Little Free Library. She sanitizes each book, quarantines them for 72 hours, then puts them into circulation.
“Some people do leave them at the library, which I visit daily. I know which books have been dropped off there, so I pull them out and sanitize them the same way as those left at my house,” Karen said. “We have hand sanitizer there and ask people to take safety precautions.”
Karen includes books listed on GoodReads.com, highlights authors who are born in each month, and has a full collection available of Harry Potter, Twilight, Game of Thrones, many of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and other popular books.
“I try to fill in the blanks,” she said. “One girl wrote in the guestbook she would like to read the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. I didn’t have any in stock, so I found a great bargain and bought about 12 of them.”
The Falls Pointe Little Free Library joins two others in the community; they are located on Cook Road in Olmsted Falls and Adele Lane in Olmsted Township. They are all chartered and listed on the Little Free Library map that shows locations across the world.
Karen appreciates all who have made the library become a reality, donated books and especially those who stop by and read them.
Those wishing to donate books to the Little Free Library should drop them into the bin on Karen Gallagher’s front porch at 9272 Lakeview Drive. (Joanne Berger DuMound, special to cleveland.com)
When Cassandra Kopnicky stopped at the library last week, so did her children Claudia, 15, Robert, 13, Beatrice, 10, Joey, 8, Florence, 4, and Bennett, 22 months. It is almost a daily ritual.
“It is a wonderful service to have here,” Cassandra said. “We love it.”
The Falls Pointe Little Free Library also has its own facebook page and Instagram account. They are updated often with new additions and other information.
Thanks to Karen, whose hard work began this project, and to all who brought this free book program to the southern end of our community.
Yummy fundraiser: Enjoy a great shake and help an Olmsted Falls school PTA earn money at the same time.
The Olmsted Early Childhood PTA and Swensons of North Olmsted have teamed up to bring you a delicious fundraiser. Swensons has created the Bulldog Shake, a delicious combination of peanut butter and hot fudge. Proceeds of this spirit shake go to the PTA.
This is only available at the North Olmsted eatery, which is on the corner of Lorain and Dover Center roads. You don’t need a flyer. Just drive up and order your shake, along with other offerings, if you wish. This fundraiser is open through Sept. 29.
The OECPTA is a great group that introduces parents to PTA when their kids are young and adventurous. It offers activities, support, friendships -- that often last a lifetime -- and education to families and their children, ages 6 and younger, in the Olmsted communities.
Oh, it saved my sanity so many times when my two were young and rambunctious. If you want to know more about this great group, go to its facebook page. And don’t forget to try that Bulldog Shake.
Virtual walk: Get ready for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s Northeast Ohio Chapter Virtual Team Hope Walk/Run on Sept. 26.
Events have been virtual this year since COVID-19 entered our lives. A virtual walk is a real walk, but you decide your own course, which also can be on a treadmill.
Team Hope is the organization’s largest national grassroots fundraiser. Thousands have walked together to support HDSA’s fight to improve the lives of those affected by Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain.
Registration is free. You may set your own fundraising goal and do it yourself, or recruit friends, neighbors and family to participate with you, according to the organization’s website.
To register, go to northeastohio.hdsa.org. and click on the virtual walk/race link.
Kampus kudos: Olmsted Township resident Layla Lang, a Cuyahoga Community College horticulture student, has received another scholarship honor.
The Proven Winners plant company gave her a scholarship to continue her studies in Tri C’s Plant Science and Landscape Technology program at its Eastern Campus. She is one of only three receiving this honor from two-year programs in North America. She received an earlier award from the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund.
Layla is in her second year at Tri-C. She plans to transfer to Purdue University next year to study soil science. She also envisions earning a master’s degree and doctorate in horticulture.
She credits Tri-C and its instructors with pushing her drive to succeed, according to a news release.
“I understand that I am setting very high goals for myself," she told Proven Winners. ” But learning about the science, life and power behind plants truly does fascinate me, and I would love to continue to so do and accomplish great things within this industry."
She became interested in horticulture locally while working at Schuster’s Westview Gardens & Greenhouse here in our community.
Congratulations, Layla.
Information, please: To include news, tidbits, honors or activities in Olmsted Falls and Olmsted Township, contact Joanne DuMound at jdumound@yahoo.com. She also is on Twitter, @JoanneDuMound. The column’s online version at cleveland.com/olmsted has direct links for many news items.
Read more from the Sun Post Herald.
The Link LonkSeptember 14, 2020 at 08:01AM
https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/09/falls-pointe-little-free-library-welcomes-readers-of-all-ages-olmsted-dates-and-data.html
Falls Pointe Little Free Library welcomes readers of all ages: Olmsted Dates and Data - cleveland.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment