Rotary member Ken Green watches children select books during the most recent Little Free Library installation.
By Mary Ann Norbom, Rotary Club of Annapolis, Maryland, USA
I had just celebrated my first anniversary as a member of the Rotary Club of Annapolis. I was still trying to find my way when I had the opportunity to see firsthand the difference Rotary members can make right at home without traveling halfway around the world. I watched more than a dozen children discover the joy of reading at our club’s newest Little Free Library installation. Their smiles were simply contagious. Sharing and trading books was clearly a joyous new experience for these boys and girls.
Identifying the need
Maryland’s state capital is a city of just 40,000 people, often thought of as a well-to-do enclave. But it’s also a tale of two cities: the very comfortable and the very underserved. Our club’s Community Outreach Lane installs Little Free Libraries in the neediest neighborhoods.
Our latest installation, our 26th, actually has two boxes, one each for children and adults. We set it up on 10 July at a nearby apartment complex categorized as affordable housing and run by a nonprofit management company. It even has its own Boys & Girls Club on site.
Collaborations contribute to its success
While many clubs sponsor Little Free Libraries, ours may be unique in the collaboration involved. Some books are donated by the neighboring Rotary Club of Parole’s Books for International Goodwill project. Others come from the local public libraries.
Still others are purchased through our club’s innovative relationship with the United States Naval Academy. Club members run one of the concession stands at the Academy’s home football games, with the concessionaire paying us a flat fee plus all tips. Our club earned more than $4,000 during the 2025 season. These funds are essential for construction and installation supplies.
I had volunteered for one of those 2025 games, but it wasn’t until attending the grand opening of our newest library that I fully appreciated the impact our work had.
Dedication
Each library has its own librarian who monitors it weekly, determining what books are most in need and what books are of most interest. In the six years since the club began its library project, only one of the 26 installations has been closed for lack of use; testimony to the advance work that goes into deciding on location.
Logistics aside, it is the kids who use the libraries and discover the joy and fun in reading that bring smiles to our members’ faces. In this case, Ken Green, who contributed dozens of hours to build out and then install (in 95-degree heat!) these two boxes, enjoyed that privilege. Ken’s philanthropic work dates back to his days in the Peace Corps in the 1970s. Once the concrete was dry and the paint set, he was there to welcome the kids. No one seemed happier.
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month. Learn more about how Rotary is supporting education.