Little Free Library celebrates its first year

BY Dawn Rankins

Canyon Lake’s Kathy Wood has had a passion for reading for as long as she can remember, so when on a vacation to Iowa visiting family when she saw her very first Little Free Library, she knew she wanted to bring one to her neighborhood. Last year, her dream became a reality.

Kathy’s husband Brian Wood surprised her with a Little Free Library and after a couple of months of working with the Canyon Lake POA, ACC, Utiliquest and other required parties, the box was finally installed a year ago on Continental Drive.

While Kathy waited eagerly for approval from the various utility companies, the Canyon Lake POA and the ACC, Brian recruited help to make sure the box was just perfect. He asked a couple of neighbors to help with the task.

Brian painted the Little Free Library and a 4×4 pole to match the nearby homes. Neighbor Marlene Sorenson painted onto the box her special touches of vines and the saying, “Take a Book, Leave a Book.”

Kathy rotating some books in the LFL on Continental Drive. Photo by Dawn Rankins

Once Kathy received approval for the installation of the Little Free Library, Brian, Rob Smith and Wayne Sorenson got together and with hammers and mallets in hand, placed the Little Free Library in its forever home.

Rob said he still remembers the day the box was installed. He remembers how excited Kathy was to have her dream come true.

“The Little Free Library was Kathy’s dream,” Rob said. “But, I was the hammering engineer on the project. Marlene painted and Brian, Wayne and I installed the box.”

Pat Smith said a lot of love went into this Little Free Library.

Continental Drive is now home to the officially-sanctioned Little Free Library. It was engraved with box number 120062, which represents how many Little Free Libraries there were in the world when Continental Drive’s library was put on the Little Free Library chapter’s map.

The purpose of registering Little Free Libraries is to make it easier to find a book when traveling. The Little Free Library website keeps track of all of the libraries in the world.

Kathy said since she was a little girl as young as four, she remembers her parents taking her to the library and letting her pick out books.

“I loved being in the library since the first time I went to one,” she said. “Since I was a little girl, I loved sharing books with my friends. My family has always been big on reading. We’re readers. I loved birthdays and holidays, because I was always certain to get a new book and those were always something I looked forward to.”

Photo by Dawn Rankins

When Kathy attended medical school, she said she volunteered in the college library. Later, when she had a daughter of her own, she would volunteer in her library.

“I loved being surrounded by books,” she said. “Once the new Canyon Lake Library opened up, I couldn’t wait to volunteer there, too.”

Kathy says she hopes that everyone in the community takes time to visit a Little Free Library and check out the various books.

“Bring your kids and encourage them to grab a book or two,” Kathy said. “I hope when kids open the little door on the library box and see the variety of books, they feel the excitement I did as a child and I hope more than anything, they become lifelong readers, too.”

The Continental Drive Little Free Library isn’t just for those who live nearby, Kathy said.

“This is a neighborhood library, but is open to the community,” she said. “Anyone can take a book, leave a book or just check it out.”

Kathy said she is really appreciative when she receives donations of books.

“We have so many wonderful book lovers here in Canyon Lake,” Kathy said. “Donations help me rotate books out of the Little Free Library, which I do every week.”

Brian and Kathy spend about an hour a week driving to the various Little Free Libraries in Canyon Lake and the one at Starbucks in Canyon Hills to rotate books and to fill up the libraries, making sure they are well stocked.

The Little Free Libraries in Canyon Lake can be found on Continental Drive, Happy Camp, Vacation Drive across from Sierra Park North and on Swan Point off Fairweather, along with a larger Little Free Library at the Canyon Hills Starbucks, she said.