Little Free Library boxes arrive in Rusk

By Josie Fox

herald@mediactr.com

Albert Einstien said it best, “The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”

The Rusk area now has several more places to get their reading fix, with the addition of four, Little Free Library boxes located in Rusk and Gallatin. These boxes can hold between 25-40 books, depending on their size, and offer readers an additional outlet to find their next great adventure.

The first Little Free Library was the work of Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009. Bol built a modes of a one room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, who was a teacher and loved to read.
The box was filled with books and placed on a post in his front yard. From those humble beginnings, the library boxes have grown to exceed over 75,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 85 countries worldwide.

The Rusk Library was able to place these library boxes thanks to a grant program sponsored by Disney in 2016. The four boxes are located at Jim Hogg Park, Conley Park, the Footbridge and the Gallatin Community Center.

“The way the little libraries work, is that a person simply grabs a book to read and then replaces it when completed.” said Amy Rhinehart, Rusk Library director. “Or if anyone has extra books at home, they are welcome to donate those publications by adding them to the collection.”

The books currently in the libraries are books that have been withdrawn from the library collection or books that were previously donated.