Two Little Free Libraries (LFL) came to the Wichita State community this summer thanks to the dedication of WSU faculty, staff and community partners.

Ellen Abbey, director of Auxiliary Services for Finance and Administration, and Ted Ayres, director of Community Engagement and Opportunity, had separate dreams of bringing their love of reading to the WSU community and both were captivated by the concept of LFLs. Peter Mader, physical plant employee, worked to design both.

The idea behind LFL is simple. Take a book and return a book. The book you take does not have to be the book you return.

Share your favorite books with others by leaving them in the little library. But it is not a dumping ground for unwanted textbooks. They are intended to be a relaxing place where students, staff and community members can sit back and go on an adventure.

“Students need to remember it’s not all about studying,” said Abbey, steward of the Food Truck Plaza’s LFL. “Sometimes it’s OK to sit back, relax and let a good book take you on an adventure.”

The Food Truck Plaza was the first to get a new addition. This LFL is in the shape of a miniature food truck complete with working headlights. A book drive held during the first week of Welcomefest helped fill the library. Abbey is thrilled that its unique design has already captured the attention of the LFL organization and was presented a Little Free Library of Distinction certificate.

The second LFL was recently installed on the corner of 16th Street and Yale thanks to Ayres and Storytime Village Inc., a Wichita children’s literacy nonprofit organization.

“We are very hopeful that this LFL will become a meeting place for the sharing of books, community and conversation,” said Ayres.

To learn more about LFL, visit https://littlefreelibrary.org/.

To learn more about Storytime Village Inc., visit https://www.storytimevillage.org/.

The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master’s and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State’s Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university’s vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.