In
the
past
few
years,
Little
Free
Libraries
were
installed
at
several
schools
across
the
Division.
The
outside
location
makes
it
easy
for
patrons
to
exchange
books
at
any
time
of
the
day.
Mary
Williams
Elementary
School
opened
their
Little
Free
Library
in
the
Spring
of
2018.
Recently,
it
has
become
not
only
a
place
to
pick-up
a
book,
but
also
a
place
to
get
food.
With
schools
and
libraries
closed
because
of
COVID-19,
many
students
are
without
access
to
new
reading
material
in
the
form
of
print
books.
The
Little
Free
Library
helps
to
fill
this
void,
but
the
Mary
Williams
Elementary
staff
also
added
essential
supplies
to
assist
students
in
need.
Community
members
have
kept
the
movement
going
by
also
dropping
off
not
only
food
such
as,
rice,
cereal
and
canned
goods,
but
also
diapers.
This
access
to
food
and
essential
items
is
a
welcomed
resource
for
families
who
may
not
be
getting
paid
during
the
closures
due
to
the
pandemic.
"I
think
the
Little
Free
Library
gives
families
a
sense
of
comfort
knowing
that
our
school
is
still
there
to
support
them,"
shared
School
Counselor
Nicole
Myers.
"The
fact
that
the
library
keeps
getting
filled
day
after
day
is
so
encouraging.
I
hope
students
learn
the
value
in
looking
out
for
the
needs
of
others
and
paying
it
forward
when
they
are
able."
"As
educators
we
know
that
the
students
who
read
the
most
achieve
the
best
scores
on
standardized
tests,"
Reading
Teacher
Kathy
Maxfield
said.
"In
our
community
we
have
military
families
that
move
often
and
may
not
have
a
large
core
of
books.
We
have
multigenerational
families
sharing
spaces
that
might
not
allow
for
a
home
library.
We
have
working
families
that
may
not
be
free
to
visit
libraries
during
normal
business
hours
or
may
lack
transportation
to
the
public
library.
Our
Little
Free
Library
improves
book
access
for
all
our
students
and
their
families,"
Maxfield
added.
Teachers
and
staff
at
Mary
Williams
hope
that
students
also
learn
valuable
life
lessons
from
these
acts
of
kindness.
In
times
of
crisis,
being
a
good
community
member
and
helping
those
in
need
is
important.