By: Karen Benton Dodson

I installed a Little Free Library, Charter 2068, in mid-August 2012, with the blessings of the Harlem Township Trustees. With the concept of “take a book, leave a book”, the library should be self supporting, but as Library Steward, I will periodically check the content to make sure the inventory is adequate and the reading material “family friendly”.

I first read about Little Free Library a couple of years ago. In a quiet moment in early summer a clear, loud voice said to me ‘Put a Little Free Library in Harlem Township’. I acted on that voice, and contacted the trustees to present the idea to them to place the library on public land. It was smooth sailing, no glitches, and by mid August, the box was installed, just in time to present it to the community during the annual ‘Harlem Heritage Days’ held at the local park.

I am an avid reader. I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I have moved into the digital age and now use my iPad to read, but I still have a love for good “old-fashioned” books. Reading can take you anywhere, and you can take a book anywhere. I encourage folks to leave notes in the books they leave to share their experience with the next reader.

This community is served by the Community Library in Sunbury, but hopefully the Little Free Library will provide an alternative when the library is closed, or a person does not have 30 minutes for the round trip to Sunbury. The Little Library is open 7/24/365. It is located next to the community recycling center, where the volume of visitors is high. It is also adjacent to the local community park where residents often come to walk their dogs or walk/jog around the 1/3 mile long paved path.
The Library was initially stocked by donation from Half Price Books in Westerville, and a local resident who rescued some books from the dumpster. I call those “rescue books”.

Little Free Library is an international organization with a mission to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide. The Little Free Library goal is to build more than 2,519 Little Free Libraries around the world, more than philanthropist Andrew Carnegie did. You can find additional information, and instructions to start a Little Free Library of your own on www.littlefreelibrary.org.

Find us on the map on www.littlefreelibrary.org, come, take a book (and leave a book) and enjoy our quiet little corner of the world.

Karen Dodson, Little Free Library Charter 2068

Including the Little Free Library in Harlem Township (Galena), there are four in Columbus that you can visit for get and/or share a book and the love of reading with your kids:

Galena: 3780 Rich St.  (at Fireman's Park)

Westerville: 1125 Lyndale Dr. (in front corner yard)

Columbus: 216 Oakland Park Ave. (in front yard)

Powell: 373 Whitaker Ave. S. (on bike path behind house)