DOVER, DE- A new chapter is unfolding at Crossgates Park in Dover with the installation of the city's seventh Little Library, a community-driven initiative aimed at promoting literacy and encouraging a love for reading.
The newly installed Little Library offers 24/7 access to free books, allowing residents to take a book or leave one behind.
The initiative is part of a growing nationwide movement to provide communities with accessible reading materials amid a mounting literacy crisis in the United States.
Brian Lewis, 2nd District Dover City Councilman, highlighted the urgency of the initiative.
"Right now we have a serious literacy problem in the United States. Over 30 million adults cannot read and write above a third grade level. So something like this to me and a lot of members of the community is important."
The latest installation was made possible thanks to two Dover residents who secured a grant through a Kent County program.
By placing books directly in neighborhoods, Lewis and other community members aim to ensure everyone has the resources they need to succeed.
Lewis also emphasized the project's accessibility, highlighting how the Little Library helps bring books directly to families who may face barriers to traditional library access.
"You have a lot of children, that live in, you know, households where they don't have transportation and they can't get to the library. So you're actually bringing the books out into the community so they can read them and they can exchange them also. So again, I think it's a great project and I support it 100%."
Lewis encouraged residents to visit the Little Library, share books, and help foster a love of reading throughout the community.
With this new addition, Dover continues to expand opportunities for learning and literacy, one book at a time.