TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—The public library has announced the installation of five Little Free Libraries in various locations around town.
Built by Mason Law and his fellow Boy Scouts of Troop 321 as his Eagle Scout service project, the Little Free Libraries—rustic, inviting, and durable—have been placed in Memorial Field, Clark Field, Gardner Field, Martini/ Senior Park, and Woodfield Path.
At 2017 Town Day, where he had already collected an estimated 400 books from donors, Law told this reporter the purpose of the project is to allow free book exchanges and have books accessible to the community.
“This will help promote literacy by inspiring people of all ages to read. People can take a book to read and return it later or replace it with another book,” he said.
According to Library Director Laura Rifkin, the project encourages reading for all ages and abilities and engages the community outside the traditional walls of the town library.
“We were thrilled to work with Mason on this project that will benefit so many people. He did a fantastic job and it was wonderful for him to think of the library when considering how his Eagle Scout project could help the town,” she said.
She added that reading reduces stress, expands vocabulary, improves memory, and aids in family bonding.
To fund his project, Law held a number of fundraisers, including selling homemade banana bread and organizing a car wash.
He found design plans, purchased materials with the funds raised, created samples, organized his fellow scouts for the construction, and ran a book drive.
He oversaw this project, conferred with local librarians for input and guidance, and completed his project in time for the summer, when residents make the most use of the parks.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. To achieve this, scouts must meet a number of requirements including earning 21 merit badges and a service project that the scout must plan, organize, lead and manage. Since 1911, 4% of Scouts have earned this rank.