Ozark Literacy Council Set to Host Little Free Library Gala in June

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Justin Tucker, a fifth-year architecture student, designed this Little Free [Children's] Library, in which books are contained in compartments that are low to the ground and easily accessed by younger children. The grey exterior masks a brightly colored interior space designed specifically for small children, with a hammock for relaxing and reading.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As host of the popular television show Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton, along with other programming on PBS Kids, encouraged children to visit their local libraries. As the years have gone on, those children have grown bigger, and some local libraries have gotten smaller. The Little Free Library has made its way into Northwest Arkansas, and the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas has become part of the movement.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture, the Ozark Literacy Council and the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the American Institute of Architects have joined together to make the "Little Free Library Design Project" happen.

The Little Free Library, which is a worldwide movement, was created in 2009 by Todd Bol and Rick Brooks in Wisconsin. The nonprofit offers free books placed in freestanding, kiosk-like structures to members of the community with a "take a book, return a book" mindset.

Local professional architects competed last fall to create the most innovative Little Free Library designs, while architecture students spent a spring studio designing and building their libraries. After bringing them to life, the designs are now available for sponsorship and installation, and a celebration for this is in the works.

The Ozark Literacy Council will host the Little Free Library Gala in support of the Northwest Arkansas Little Free Library Design Project on June 4 at the Fayetteville Town Center. The goal of the gala is to increase the number of local Little Free Libraries while also promoting great design in public spaces.

Angie Carpenter, visiting assistant professor of architecture, taught the spring studio and worked hard with the students to make sure that their projects were ready to display this Thursday, May 7, at the First Thursday community event on the Fayetteville square.

"This will be the first time for the students to engage with the Fayetteville community showing their ideas. This has been a great experience for both me and the students," Carpenter said. "We started out by making small-scale models and drawings of each student's ideas. They were able to review these with Margot [Jackson Lemaster] from the Ozark Literacy Council and Lori Yazwinski Santa-Rita from the NWA AIA chapter."

The architecture students took the feedback they were given and did their necessary edits and revisions.

"Students were strongly encouraged to salvage and use recycled materials in thinking through the design problem. We have been pretty successful in doing this," Carpenter said. "We are mostly using recycled wood, metal, melted-down plastic jugs and even old shopping carts. I have been pretty impressed with the resourcefulness and the imagination of the students."

The June 4 gala event will congratulate the winning designs, celebrate sponsors and raise funds for literacy initiatives in Northwest Arkansas. The Barbara Broyles Champion for Literacy award also will be given, and there will be live entertainment from regional band National Park Radio, a silent auction, Little Free Library design displays, as well as a buffet dinner and refreshments.

Supporters of the Little Free Library strengthen communities by fostering communal gathering spots to promote the love and curiosity that comes with reading. There are roughly 25,000 Little Free Libraries worldwide, and more than a dozen have been set up in Northwest Arkansas.

"It is important for students to see firsthand how what they do can have such an influence on their community. It is a way for them to engage with a real client and deal with real design issues," Carpenter said. "Hopefully, this collaboration will be the first of many to come."

For anyone interested in sponsoring a Little Free Library design, benefits include a choice of a structure designed by a professional or student, a name of an individual or company sponsor on the structure, inclusion in promotional materials, a table for 10 and recognition at the gala event, choice of library location (as city permits allow), full ownership of the library, official registration on the Little Free Library website, library stewardship by literacy council volunteers, a featured spotlight on literacy council social media and a site consultation with a professional architect.

The Little Free Library gala is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. June 4 at the Fayetteville Town Center. Sponsorship and gala information can be found at the Ozark Literacy Council website.