Free Little Library now at Willow Wood Park

Take a book, leave a book.

That’s the motto for the Woodlawn Girl Scouts’ new community book exchange at Willow Wood Park along Georgia Avenue. 

Located in the high traffic area by the community center, the freestanding library offers books with reading levels from preschool to fourth grade. At the May 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony, Girl Scout Troop 30658 donated the Little Free Library — stocked with about 20 donated books, with more ready to replenish the stock — to Troop 30919, the newer group of Woodlawn Girl Scouts.

“They are a new, small troop, and they were excited. It was a great show of sisterhood,” said Membership and Community Development Manager Nakesha Scott.

Troop 30658 leaders Cindy Crook, Kristina Theall and Stacy Cierohn, all with Girl Scout daughters, assisted the girls with the process of donating the library. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was created with the goal to bring the two communities together. 

The 15 girls used the money raised from selling Girl Scout cookies to fund the structure purchased from the Little Free Library, a nonprofit company that promotes literacy. For children who might not have access to books or even new books, the Free Little Library gives them a chance to read while they’re at the playground.

“Since they’re in second grade, this is the big year for them for reading. I think they really learned a passion for being able to read and comprehend books more,” Crook said. 

Although they’re still trying to get the message to the children on the playground to leave a book when they take one, any and every child is encouraged to scout out some new reading material.