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We have a great public library in Takoma Park, Maryland, but ever since the first Little Free Libraries started popping up in my neighborhood, my walks have taken a little longer. I can鈥檛 resist stopping at each one and checking out the merchandise. The serendipity of meeting an exciting and unfamiliar book on the sidewalk has weighted down my nightstand and made me feel closer to my community.

But let鈥檚 face it: My family and I already have more books than we can read in our lifetimes. 鈥攖he organization that gave rise to the movement and that has registered more than 100,000 libraries in all 50 states (and D.C.), 110 countries and seven continents鈥攈as reached the same conclusion. Maybe they鈥檝e seen my nightstand.

鈥淲e鈥檙e known for being on White suburban lawns,鈥� admits Greig Metzger, Little Free Library鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had to re-orient our mission to meet the moment.鈥�

The shift is entirely consonant with the Little Free Library鈥檚 origins. Todd Bol built the first one in 2009 in honor of his mother, a teacher and book lover. Over the past 12 years, the gesture has grown into a movement that prizes generosity, literacy and community. Bol died of pancreatic cancer in 2018.

There鈥檚 nothing wrong with expanding the personal libraries of suburbanites, but the organization has realized that it can unleash the power of children鈥檚 literacy by distributing free books in communities that historically have gone without adequate investment. 鈥淐hildren鈥檚 books are always the first to go,鈥� says Margret Aldrich, author of 聽and the organization鈥檚 Director of Communications.

The books Little Free Library brings to neighborhoods without robust bookstores and libraries aren鈥檛 just high quality and age appropriate; they also tell the stories and show the pictures that resonate with children of color. So far, has provided more than 1,350 libraries at no cost to communities where books are scarce. 鈥淲e get many more requests than we can fulfill,鈥� says Aldrich.

She adds, 鈥淭he research confirms the importance of getting books in their hands.鈥� Scholars have demonstrated the impact of the The availability of reading materials is a big part of that. It鈥檚 also vital to foster habits of reading aloud and independent reading. Children need to hear adults reading, and they need to see them reading. Aldrich confirms that librarians love Little Free Libraries. , the Librarian of Congress, she proudly showed off the one in her office.

Last year saw the launch of the organization鈥檚 most ambitious effort yet. Although it is headquartered in Hudson, Wisc., many staff members live just over the state border in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and in the wake of George Floyd鈥檚 murder, the urge to do more for racial equity took on new urgency. distributes books that address racism and celebrate marginalized voices鈥擝IPOC, LGBTQ and more. The initiative involves partnering with national groups and on-the-ground organizations that really know their communities.

In May, to observe the centenary of a , Read in Color kicked off in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in conjunction with and HarperCollins, building and stocking 26 new book-sharing boxes. “Every single person here,鈥� said Dr. Tiffany Crutcher鈥攁n activist whose twin brother was killed by police in 2016鈥斺�渂elieves that our children deserve schools that are palaces, homes that are healthy, neighborhoods that are safe, and on the simplest level, they deserve to open a book and see themselves reflected in its pages.” Read in Color is also rolling out in New York, Chicago and Boston.

Last month, I attended the Read in Color ribbon-cutting ceremony at , one of D.C.鈥檚 largest multicultural child care providers. Watching a dozen or so young children assault the little ribbon on the little house with their little scissors gave me one of the most unmistakable jolts of optimism in recent memory.

Jordi Hutchinson, executive director of event cosponsor , said, 鈥淏y increasing access to engaging reading materials that celebrate diversity, inclusion and social justice, we are giving children new ways to develop critical social emotional skills such as self-respect and empathy while also promoting understanding across communities and cultures.鈥�

The construction firm Van Metre unveiled an example of the lovingly detailed miniature house-shaped libraries they were donating, and 颁别苍迟谤辞狈铆补鈥檚 Michael Yacob read to a group of preschoolers, demonstrating the power of story time鈥攁nd of Bol鈥檚 vision.

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.