Blog: City Blog

'Little Free Libraries' Make Their Way to Two City Parks

Joe Walsh (blue shirt), Director of Parks and Recreation, poses with neighbors at the new Little Free Library at West Hills Park.

“Little Free Libraries” have made their way to a couple of Knoxville parks. The small, creatively designed boxes offer free books and an always-open donation space for more.

Installations are now in place near the westernmost playground of West Hills Park, located at 410 N Winston Rd., and near the tennis courts in Edgewood Park, located at 3109 Ocoee Trail.

Joe Walsh (blue shirt) poses with neighbors at the new Little Free Library at Edgewood Park.

The amenities were donated by Innovative Mattress Solutions, a parent company of Sleep Outfitters, which recently opened three stores in the Knoxville area.

The donations are part of a nationwide push behind reading daily, and Innovative Mattress Solutions was especially interested in getting kids involved.

“Our grand openings featured a bedtime stories theme,” said Kim Knopf, Chief Executive Officer for Sleep Outfitters. “’Little Free Libraries’ gave us a way to extend this theme beyond the openings, which is important, because reading develops language skills…sparks imagination, and reading stories at bedtime brings families together.”

The staff members at Knoxville Parks and Recreation were more than happy to help with that mission.

“We are grateful to Sleep Outfitters for their generosity of adding this nice, new feature to the parks,” said Joe Walsh, Director of Parks and Recreation.

Since the world’s first Little Free Library went up in 2009, representatives in the non-profit with the same title strive to build the boxes and promote reading where books are scarce.

It’s estimated that at least 50,000 Little Free Libraries have been built in over 70 countries.

Knoxville is just one small part of their mission, but the impact of free books on local children and the community in general will last lifetimes.

Written by Jarrod Nelson, City of Knoxville Communications Intern

Posted by On 27 July, 2017 at 4:44 PM