At the end of 2015, Milroy Psi Iota Xi requested funding from the Rush County Community Foundation’s community grants program to make Little Free Libraries available in each township of our county.  The national Psi Iota Xi organization lists “literacy” among their philanthropic focuses, and the Milroy chapter embraced the idea of improving literacy in our community with the “Take a Book, Return a Book” concept of the Little Free Library.

To assist with the costs of implementing their idea, members of the sorority approached the Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF) to request a community grant to make the purchase of 13 libraries a reality.  Recognizing that the Little Free Libraries would be a benefit for all ages of our community and put Rush County on the map of a global book exchange network, RCCF’s Grants Committee and Board of Directors were eager to provide funding for the request.  Throughout the past year, townships have brought the Libraries into their area to make books available for those that reside in the area or are passing through.  Each of the libraries has become more than a place to exchange books:  talented local artists have turned the libraries into unique pieces of art for each of the locations (see photos of the libraries throughout the county on our Facebook album!).

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization designed to increase literacy and make reading accessible for all.  Millions of books are exchanged each year around the globe, through more than 60,000 little libraries.  The concept is simple:  build (or order) a Little Library, add books, and register it with Little Free Library.  Little Free Library maintains a world map of registered Little Free Libraries to help people find and share books wherever they are.

If you see a Little Free Library when you’re out and about, we encourage you to stop and grab a book!  When you finish reading, return it to a Little Free Library, and feel free to bring other reading material from your home that others might enjoy as much as you or your family once did.  If you are interested in establishing your own Little Free Library, visit https://littlefreelibrary.org.

The Rush County Community Foundation is proud to partner with Milroy Psi Iota Xi to make the Little Free Libraries possible throughout our community.  We are especially grateful to the donors who have established and contributed to the funds that support the Community Grants program, which enables projects such as this for Rush County.  If you are interested in supporting one of these funds or applying to receive project support, please contact RCCF for additional information.