INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn.–Heartland Credit Union has added a Little Free Library at its branch here.
Inspired by the mission of the Little Free Library, to inspire the love of reading and building community, Heartland said it welcomes its members and those in the community to visit the library to pick up or drop off a book or two. The credit union accepts donations of new or slightly used, good condition and family-friendly books to place in the library.
“We encourage people to use this library as frequently as they would like,” said Kathleen Harrington, Heartland President. “We’re excited to offer this resource to our members and the community, while promoting financial literacy.”
The Little Free Library got its start in 2009 when Todd Bol of Hudson, Wis. built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away.
Rick Brooks of UW-Madison saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential social enterprises. Together, the two saw opportunities to achieve a variety of goals for the common good. They were inspired by community gift-sharing networks, “take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces, and most especially by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.