COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kids in west Columbus are now seeing a big blue box sitting in the lobby of the J. Ashburn Jr. Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus.
“It’s a whole community approach to making the community better,” says Agent Dan Leeper with the FBI Cincinnati Field Division. “Having better young readers is a great solution to having better young citizens."
The blue box is the newly-installed Little Free Library, part of a world-wide movement to encourage reading. Recent research by the Department of Justice has shown low literacy is strongly connected to crime and delinquency. Through reading, communities can stop delinquency issues before they start.
Leeper was among nearly a dozen people who held a “book-opening ceremony” for the new Little Free Library, which was donated Friday to the clubhouse by the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association of Cincinnati and Columbus.
CrimeTracker10's Angela An, who is also morning news anchor for 10 This Morning, is a longtime alumni member.
“Up until now, Columbus and Cincinnati, the outreach has really been in the business community,” says Betsey Krause, an alumni member. “Bringing a positive impression of the FBI at a young age is an important way to help kids get off on the right track."
The Little Free Library works like this: donate a book or take a book, all for free. It’s that simple.
Monisa Mason, director of the club in the Hilltop area of west Columbus, says there are unfortunately some children who don’t have access to books as readily as others.
“It is my hope the new Little Library will continue to encourage and empower our kids, giving them confidence and desire to read," she said.
If you would like to donate books for this effort or have additional questions about this project, please contact the Alumni Association at fbiccaaa.columbus@gmail.com.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) office at 1169 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215 is accepting book donations.
