Hamden Brownie troop creates Little Free Library from newspaper vending box

HAMDEN — It’s now possible to take a book or return a book to the Little Free Library a local Brownie Girl Scout troop has created outside Paul & Eddy’s pizza restaurant.

The troop transformed a former New Haven Register newspaper vending machine into a Little Free Library to help provide more access to books in the neighborhood.

“I grew up with book mobiles and liked being able to have easy access to books in my neighborhood growing up,” said Cathy Solomon, the mother of one of the troop members. “The kids are really focused on community so we thought this would be a good thing to do.”

A Little Free Library is a neighborhood book exchange where anyone may leave a book or take take one, as it functions on the honor system. If a person takes a book from a library, they don’t need to return that exact book, but people are encouraged to contribute another book in its place to keep the library stocked.

In thinking of how to create the troop’s own Little Free Library, Solomon read about ways to re-purpose everyday items into a library, and one idea was to use a newspaper vending machine. So, she contacted the New Haven Register and the company was able to donate a vending box to the troop.

Eleven troop members helped with the project and several of the girls helped cut the ribbon on official opening of the library and load it with books, including Ellie Solomon, 8, Aubrey Powers, 9, Charlotte Trama, 8, and Imogen Gallagher-Cho. Into the library went children’s favorites, such as Clifford the Big Red Dog and Harry Potter, along with magazines and handcrafted bookmarks made by the troop.

Aubrey, Charlotte and Ellie said they all like to read and the library will help other kids have books to read, too. Painted on the front of it is the Brownie troop’s crest, a pansy symbolizing loving thoughts and special friendships.

“We wanted to do the Little Free Library because people have to drive and focus on the road to get to the library but you can just walk a little time to get to a Little Free Library,” Ellie said, who was so excited about the project she said she wanted to take a book out immediately. Charlotte noted the library is a cool idea because it’s like a little version of a big library.

Eddy Batesman, an owner of Paul & Eddy’s pizza restaurant, said he was happy to have the library outside the restaurant and that it looks great.

There are also Little Free Libraries in the Spring Glen School and down the road in a neighbor’s front yard, Solomon said.

Todd Bol built the first library in 2009 and later founded a nonprofit organization from the idea. Anyone can build a Little Free Library and can register it on the world map of Libraries at https://littlefreelibrary.org/.

As of last November there were 50,000 registered Little Free Library book exchanges in all 50 states and in more than 70 countries around the world, according to the organization’s website.