Seventh-grade students at Washington Middle School in Oconto Falls completed a community service project during the 2014-15 school year. Their goal was to install Little Free Libraries at various locations in the Oconto Falls School District.
A Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where community members can share their favorite literature and stories. Students wanted to make books available to residents who live in areas without convenient access to public libraries. After considering a variety of locations, students chose to place libraries in Spruce, Little Suamico and Abrams.
Students wrote letters to area businesses to request donations, wrote to venues asking permission to install the libraries, wrote thank you letters to project supporters, raised funds to finance the project, collected and selected books to stock the libraries and helped construct the libraries.
Seventh-grade student Zach Schwantes worked with his father to construct one of the Little Free Libraries.
“It was fun spending time with my dad working build the library,” Zach said.
Another Little Free Library was constructed by Mike Yashinsky, the grandfather of seventh-grade student Riley Yashinsky.
“When I saw a picture of a Little Free Library, I knew my grandfather could build one, so I asked him if he would,” Riley said. “I was very excited to have him helping with this project.”
The Little Free Libraries are located at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Spruce, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Little Suamico and at the town hall in Abrams.
The students are proud of their accomplishment and hope community members will enjoy using the libraries.
