SEAFORD, DE - The Little Free Library outside of the Little Sprout Learning Academy in Seaford has more books leaving than it does being donated, according to staff at the academy.
Faculty member Toni Dickerson said the library has over a hundred families who frequent it.
"We refill it about once every other week," Dickerson said. "And that's from a completely empty box to as many books as we can shove in there."
Dickerson said that the next nearest little library is roughly a mile away. She said keeping the box full is a high priority for the school.
"Research has shown that the more that kids are exposed to books and the more that people are reading to them, they're building all of those incredible brain neurons and things like that," Dickerson said.
Dickerson said, thatin the four years they've had the library, this has not been an issue previously. She said she noticed the school's supply of books had run empty Monday afternoon, and posted to social media asking for donations.
According to Dickerson, the community came together after her call to action. When WBOC visited the library Tuesday afternoon, the box was already halfway full.
"I think I had 14 or 15 people reach out to me through Facebook Messenger alone yesterday," Dickerson said. "And that was within the first hour."
Amanda White, a college student who works with the school when she can, said her nieces and nephews love the little library. She said she hoped the box would continue to stay stocked.
"My nieces and nephew are excited about it all the time, they love it," White said. "They always go over and say 'Hey look at this book I got, do you wanna come read this book with me'."
Dickerson said that the school has considered enforcing the 'take one leave one' policy in the past. However, she said they'd rather ensure that every kid who wants to read a book can have one.
"We don't want to turn a kid down saying 'no you can't have a book because you don't have one to leave one'," Dickerson said. "We'd rather just keep funneling books out to the kids that want them."
Dickerson said the school is always accepting donations for their little library. Those interested in donating can drop the books off at the library, located at 126 N. Shipley Street, Seaford, DE.
