Skoufis announces ‘Little Libraries’ throughout Senate District

Senator James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley), the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, small business owners, and community leaders unveiled six “Little Libraries” that will be assembled across the Senate District in the coming weeks.

Little Libraries are small wooden boxes that are constructed in pedestrian-friendly community hubs and act as spaces where residents can take a book and share a book.

This effort, led by Skoufis, included a commitment from the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRC) to donate materials, expertise and their time to make this project come to fruition.

Over the past few months, Skoufis worked with NASRC, local elected officials, community volunteers, and small businesses across the entire Senate District to complete this project in its entirety at no cost to taxpayers. Additionally, during the course of the project, hundreds of books were donated to ensure each little library will be full at the time of installation.

“The idea behind Little Libraries is simple - take a book, share a book - in an effort to excite folks young and old to either develop a passion for literacy or embrace their love for books,” Skoufis said. “The effort to get these Little Libraries ready for installation is the embodiment of neighborliness, functioning on the honor system, where anyone can take a book or give a book in an effort to create community connections and ensure reading is accessible to all.”

“Part of our mission as a labor organization is to dedicate our time for community projects just like this,” said Bill Banfield, Assistant Executive Secretary-Treasurer of NASRC. “We were excited when Senator Skoufis approached us with this idea and we got right to work. I speak for all our members when I say it is our pleasure to give back, put our expertise to use, and support this educational initiative.”

“I was honored to be a part of this project spearheaded by my longtime friend, Senator Skoufis,” said Colleen Pierce, owner of Jay’s Deli. “He’s been a true partner and advocate for main street businesses like mine and having a beautifully-made Little Library outside our door is a reminder of the community-minded approach we all need to embrace.”

These six Little Libraries will be registered with LittleFreeLibaries.org, which includes a free app for phones that will allow anyone to easily find little libraries on-the-go, map routes between libraries, save your favorites and more.