Studer Community Institute

Local Eagle Scout builds Little Free Libraries

March 31, 2015
/ Staff Reports
/ community-dashboard

A local Eagle Scout earned his wings by building two Little Free Libraries as part of his final service project. Michael Karabin’s handiwork is showcased in the Pensacola Habitat for Humanity’s subdivisions of Providence Manor II and Champion Oaks. “Thanks to grant money from Bank of America and International Paper, as well as the hard work and dedication of Michael Karabin and the Cantonment Improvement Committee, Pensacola Habitat is able to install two new Little Free Libraries in communities that we serve,” said Joe Potrzeba, Community Outreach coordinator. “We are hoping that the additions of these libraries will promote literacy in Escambia County and get more books into the hands of children.” As part of the ongoing efforts to bring a community resource center to Cantonment, the Cantonment Improvement Committee also built a Little Free Library, which will be installed at Carver Park. Little Free Libraries are a part of a growing trend often associated with neighborhood revitalization initiatives that promote literacy and increase access to books in areas that may have previously been without or limited. The “take a book, leave a book” ideal that these little structures provide has great potential to create a place of meaningful social interaction, where children and adults alike can share and discuss their favorite books and stories with one another. These small, house-shaped “libraries” provide their communities with a unique recreational and educational asset. According to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, as of 2013, 14 percent of U.S. adults, and 19 percent of high school graduates, cannot read. Studies by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy also show that two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade are more likely to end up in jail or on welfare. Making reading materials more accessible for everyone is invaluable – not only in Pensacola but nationwide. The project will culminate with an unveiling ceremony of the Providence Manor II Little Free Library on April, 11, at 11 a.m. If you are interested in donating books or learning more information about these free libraries, contact Jon Potrzeba at 434-5456 or email [email protected].

Back to Blogs

Local Eagle Scout builds Little Free Libraries

Recent Posts