Saturday, July 20, 2013

Back into the swing of things

With a two week trip to Paris and Latvia coming up and a 15-year old German exchange student arriving less than two weeks after we get back, I should have lots to blog about for the next little while. Please let me know if I still have any readers out there by leaving me a comment on this post. Thanks!!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Help Build a Little Free Library

Please support this project: [copied and pasted from their page]

Free Library for Kids, Teens, and Adults with little park


We'll provide free printed books, benefiting education and reading skills for all ages. 

Free Libraries will promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide. To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.

We will build several free library parks. That means we will set not only the book box, but also a whole reading environment around the box, such as a garden and a bench, allowing people to read a book in loco.

The project will supply several kind of books for free exchange. A person can also just take the book home, and bring it back again, instead of exchanging it for another. Of course, some people will just take books and not replace them, so we'll be prepared to fill the gap with new books.

The free libraries will be set in some places around Bristol TN/VA. Each spot will be announced on the newspaper. The project will install and do maintenance on the book box, garden, and the little park in general, as well as administrate the books supplies.

The value we are starting the project provides for one spot, and maintenance for 1 year. Every time we reach the same value will allow us to install the project in a new place.

For the initial spot for the next "Little Free Library" we have partnered up with a Child Care Facility that is located on the main highway going through the heart of Blountville, TN. All About Kids Early Learning has agreed to provide adequate road front space at their location.

Pricing Details: 

$ 350.00 - Book box
$ 250.00 - Landscaping (brick pathway, bushes, mulch, flowers)
$ 150.00 - Long Bench (park style, metal)
$ 200.00 - Initial Books
$ 100.00 - Year maintenance
$ 100.00 - Honor Plaque to main supporter
$ 100.00 - Bricks with names of supporters
$ 150.00 - Newspaper and Inauguration Party
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$ 1400.00 Total

Risks and challenges 

We will need to work on the community consciousness to improve their reading experiences, as well as to develop a sense of responsibility in order to really take the books back or exchange them, rather than just taking it home. But, we are glad to realized our community already has a strong sense of group, and we expect not to have any major issues in this project.