Ribbon cutting for Little Free Library at Park Street Elementary

The Cobb Collaborative led a ribbon-cutting for a brand new Little Free Library at Park Street Elementary on March 6.

Executive Director Irene Barton was joined by Marietta City Schools Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera, Park Street Principal Alex Soto, students and educators from the school, as well as leaders from Marietta Kiwanis, Cobb County Public Library and the Emily Lembeck Early Learning Center.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting books in the hands of children and adults in communities around the world with a vision to have “a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader.” These book-sharing boxes remove barriers to book access by being available 24/7 with free accessibility. LFLs operate under the “Take One, Leave One” theory which encourages readers to not only take a book, but to leave one for others when there is an ability to do so.

As a Little Free Library community partner, Cobb Collaborative is pleased to continue its goal of establishing LFLs throughout the county. This is the second library established in the City of Marietta this year and the fourth within Cobb County. The Collaborative also serves as the local point of contact for the Get Georgia Reading Campaign.

Research from the campaign demonstrates that development and use of language skills from childhood through adolescence can have a dramatic and positive impact on an individual’s quality of life and life outcomes.

The Kiwanis Club of Marietta will serve as the stewards for the Park Street LFL, ensuring that it is stocked with a variety of child-friendly books.

“Laundromat Library Committee is beyond thrilled to be the steward of the new Park Street LFL,” said Debbie McCracken, Lt. Governor for Division 15 of the Kiwanis and Laundromat Libraries Chair. “One of the many projects of our club is to put free books into children’s hands in participating laundromats in the city in an effort to increase their literacy levels. This LFL expands our literacy outreach to children who live in an area of the city that no longer has an operating commercial laundromat. We’re excited to expand our outreach.”

McCracken was joined by Lori Herrin, Youth Services Chair of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta.

For more information, contact Cobb Collaborative Executive Director Irene Barton at ibarton@cobbcollaborative.org.