O C T O B E R 13
L E H A V R E
N E W S
Whitestone resident
working on book exchange
at local park
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Salazar
WWW.QNS.COM | OCTOBER 2018 | LEHAVRE COURIER 13
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
One Whitestone resident wants to incorporate
reading and the great outdoors to give back to his
community.
Since July, Jonathan Salazar had been working
with local community groups and the New York City
Parks Department to bring a Little Free Library book
exchange to Francis Lewis Park — and now his plan
is coming into fruition.
The NYU student recalls the summer day when
he observed the scene at his local park and thought
that it would be “a great place to read a book.” He
had heard of the Little Free Library organization and
knew that the park was the perfect location to bring
an outdoor library to the community.
“I’ve been thinking of fun, meaningful ways to
give back to my community and I stumbled on this
organization called Little Free Library,” said Salazar.
“Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that
inspires a love of reading, builds community and
sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book
exchanges around the world.”
According to the organization’s website, there
are currently 75,000 Little Free Libraries set up in
88 countries around the world. The libraries were
created in 2009 by Wisconsin-native Todd Bol. The
one-room schoolhouse shaped bookshelves were
built as a tribute to his mother, a schoolteacher who
loved to read.
Salazar described the system for the library as one
where anyone can “take a book then return a book.”
He added that the books that are returned can be different
from the ones that were taken off the shelves.
His plan for the Francis Lewis Park library is to
build two bookshelves that can house approximately
40 to 50 books each. The shelves will include a hook
where patrons can hook their dogs while browsing
for something to read and a motion sensor light for
use at night. The library will not have specific hours
and will be open when the park is open.
Alfredo Centola, president of the We Love
Whitestone Civic Association, said that Salazar
approached him with the idea a few months ago and
described it as “an incredible opportunity for the
community, for members of all different age groups.”
In the meetings between Salazar and We Love
Whitestone, Centola said that the biggest issue that
came up was funding — it takes $1,000 to operate a
Little Free Library. He reached out to the community
on behalf of the library and said they received over
$800 in donations on the association’s website.
“The outpouring of support from the community
is always tremendous,” Centola said.
As the library’s steward, Salazar said that he plans
to visit the site every other week to ensure that there
is no vandalism and the operation is running smoothly.
If the necessary $1,000 of funding comes in, he
aims for the library to be up and running by the end
of October 2018.
“Reading at a late age in my life has changed my
mindset and my ability to become the best version of
myself and I wanted to share that opportunity with
kids, families and adults in my community,” said
Salazar.
To donate to the Little Free Library Fund, visit the
WeLoveWhitestone.com/donate and write “Little
Library” in the special instructions section.
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