The first of what Lower Saucon Township officials hope will be many Little Free Libraries in township parks won unanimous approval from council for installation in Polk Valley Park last Wednesday.
The Little Free Library that’s destined for placement in Polk Valley Park was on display at Lower Saucon Township Council’s Oct. 4 meeting.
Council members praised the attractive design of the kiosk, which was constructed by Parks & Recreation Board vice chairman Tom Butera with materials donated by Spirk Brothers Inc. David Spirk, owner of the company, is the chairman of the Parks & Recreation Board.
Butera’s design mimics that of a small house, which is made to look as though it’s built out of hardcover books.
Parks & Recreation board member Atom Kallen addressed council regarding the Little Free Library, which he said will be open as soon as it’s mounted on a pole near the park’s pavilion.
Kallen said the board already has enough book donations to stock the LFL for its opening, and beyond that, he will help maintain the collection.
Little Free Libraries are inherently self-sustaining collections, because the philosophy behind them is to “leave a book, take a book.”
If residents have a number of books to donate they should space their donations out over time, or they can donate an entire collection at a receptacle outside the Hellertown Area Library.
Hellertown already has several Little Free Libraries in public areas, and Lower Saucon Township has at least two in residential areas.
“I’m excited,” township councilwoman Priscilla deLeon said. “I just think it’s a great idea, and thank you for donating the materials. I’m just looking forward to the success of this in other parks.”
“It’s a work of art, actually,” commented council president Ron Horiszny.
Councilwoman Donna Louder said she hopes the recently renovated Steel City Park–which officially reopened with a ribbon-cutting Wednesday–will be the second township park in line for a Little Free Library. She would like to sponsor one, she added.
Kallen noted that all of the libraries will have unique designs. Some are built from scratch, some are created from kits and some incorporate a repurposed object.
For more information about Little Free Libraries and how they work, visit the Little Free Library website.
The Little Free Library that will be in Polk Valley Park is designed to look like a small house built out of hardcover books.
