BALTIMORE — A new little free library outside Roland Park Place Senior Living Community is bringing neighbors together through the power of books and art.
The colorful, decorated library box was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew residents and community members from the Roland Park and Hampden neighborhoods. The project combines reading access with local artistry, as residents at the senior living community decorated the structure themselves.
"We just decided listen we could have one of we have all these artists as well let's invite them to decorate it so they jumped in and decorated it and now we've got a little connection in the community," said Becki Bees with Roland Park Place.
A little library is connecting a senior living community
The initiative resonated with residents who understand the fundamental importance of literacy. One attendee connected the project to broader reading advocacy efforts.
"Oh, my goodness, well I used to be involved with an organization called Reading Is Fundamental, and that says it all. Yeah, if you can't read, you're challenged for the rest of your life, and it's a foundational skill, so it's terrific that Roland Park Place can contribute this way," said Karl Alexander, a Roland Park resident.
The inspiration for the little free library came from Rita Collins, a retired teacher who moved to Maryland from Montana a few months ago. Collins brought with her 11 years of experience running the Amazing Traveling Book Store, where she sells moderately priced books at farmers markets, concerts and festivals. Her children's books cost just $1.
Collins wanted to continue sharing her passion for reading in her new community.
"You can read and just take your imagination out. I mean, especially with children and then with adults it's like, wait, do I really think that's true and you can go back and read it again so it's slower and I think goes deeper than some of the other things where we get our information these days," Collins said.
The little free library operates on a simple concept: community members can take books to enjoy and are encouraged to leave books for others. The Roland Park Place community plans to keep the library stocked and accessible to all neighbors.
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