Residents of Hickory Hills now have their own little library — albeit a tiny one — right outside of City Hall.
The smattering of books is courtesy of the Green Hills Public Library District in Palos Hills, which wanted to offer nearby residents an easy way to select reading material. Readers are encouraged to take a book, read it and either return it or trade it for another of their choosing. Green Hills Public Library will also periodically replace books.
Both Hickory Hills and Palos Hills residents belong to the Green Hills Public Library District, but library representatives said they wanted to be sure Hickory Hills residents know they are welcome in the library, so the small birdhouse-like box also has brochures and newsletters about the Palos Hills facility.
About 15 books fit into the box, which is painted on each of its four sides with a different season and was constructed by non-profit The Little Free Library..
The Green Hills Public Library bought the small library and donated it to Hickory Hills. Such custom-painted libraries start at $600, according to littlefreelibrary.org. The Wisconsin-based organization boasts 15,000 of its little libraries worldwide as of January 2014. Palos Heights has two of the little libraries.
The nonprofit was started by Tod Bol, who built the first Little Free Library in Hudson, Wis., as a tribute to his mom, a former school teacher. When Bol saw how popular the little library was he wanted to spread the idea further and offered the libraries to interested people and organizations.
“The whole idea is that anybody who passes by can take a look inside, take a book for themselves and can put their own book to share with someone,” said Sara Kennedy, adult and circulation services manager of the Green Hills Public Library, who came up with the idea of getting one of the boxes. “The idea is basically to share good things to read … pay it forward.”
Kennedy said she filled the little library when it was installed on Aug. 14, and when she returned in early September, all the original books had been taken and replaced with new ones.
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“It seems like there has been some community involvement,” she said.
Kennedy and Green Hills Public Library Director Annette Armstrong met with Hickory Hills Mayor Mike Howley and Clerk D’Lorah Catizone to hash out details of the new library before its installation. They decided to put the library outside City Hall, 8652 W. 95th Street, so the many residents paying their water bills or driving down 95th Street would be sure to see it.
“It’s really cute,” Catizone said. “In the beginning I was a little concerned about vandalism but there’s been nothing …people are just looking in there.”
The box has everything from best-sellers to kids’ books.
Howley and Catizone are so excited about the new library they are even considering purchasing more Little Free Libraries and possibly placing one in front of the Community Center, 7800 W. 89th Place, and others on residential blocks. The center is near senior apartments, so older residents would have an easy time getting books there, Catizone said.
“So far, it’s gone very well,” she said.