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A Free Library Aims To Reach Readers

Published 1:30 am Thursday, February 4, 2021

By Elizabeth Shepherd

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A new Spanish-language Free Little Library, spearheaded by Vashon Rotary’s Racial Justice Task Force, and adorned with tiles created by the youth of Comunidad Latina de Vashon, is now in place outside of Vashon IGA. Pictured here (left to right) are Amy Huggins, Vashon Rotary’s current president, who set up the task force; Slade McSheehy, superintendent of Vashon Island School District; and Rotarians John Burke and Lin Holley. Burke was the construction manager of the project, with George Spano. Holley co-chairs the task force with Kim Richards (not pictured) (Daralyn Anderson Photo).

A new Free Little Library outside Vashon’s IGA isn’t so little.

The new library, filled with books in Spanish for native speakers and language learners on Vashon, was created as a project of Vashon Rotary’s Racial Justice Task Force. It measures about 18.6 cubic feet, compared to a typical Little Library that is about 2.7 cubic feet, and filled with hundreds of books. Perhaps best of all, it is adorned with painted tiles created by 40 children in Vashon’s Latino community.

Collaborators on the project included Cynthia Ramos Orozco and Nicole Gehlbach-Wilson of Comunidad Latina de Vashon and Puentes, a mental health organization that works closely with CLV. Vashon Island School District Superintendent Slade McSheehy and librarians Kathleen Lawrence and Cynthia Gregorich also contributed to the project. Members of Vashon’s Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit also donated books to the library, as did Vashon Library. The Library has committed to donating more books, as needed in the future.

Shawn Hoffman, the owner of IGA, gave the go-ahead for the library to be placed near his grocery store’s south door.

Wisconsin Rotarian Todd Bol started the LittleFreeLibary.org in 2009. There are now libraries in at least 88 countries, including a Rotarian project library in Ghana. Vashon’s new library, registered as library #108628, is on the LFL World Map, which can be accessed at FreeLittleLibrary.org.

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