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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2018)
January 5, 2018 T he C olumbia P ress Tiny library: Children are box’s big users Continued from Page 1 and the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the future of society and the nature and purpose of life. So focusing on children ap- pealed to Bartoldus. “I have always loved books and the education of our chil- dren is one of the premier things in the whole world that changes the world,” she said. She found a medicine box online, which holds about 30 books. She bought a seal- ant from Dollar Tree to make the box waterproof. Then she built the housing out of a pal- let. Tiny libraries were born in 2009 with a simple idea: building community by bringing books to neighbor- hoods. Neighbors are urged to take a book and leave a book. Today there are 60,000 of them around the globe and a nonprofit organization, Lit- tle Free Library, promoting them. In March, the Seaside Li- brary is holding a Little Free Libraries fund-raiser for Clatsop County’s Rural Read- ing Outreach to Children and for the summer reading pro- grams conducted jointly by Warrenton, Seaside and As- toria’s public libraries. Those who are handy are asked to build a little library and donate it for an auction March 31 at the Seaside Con- vention Center. Instructions are on the Seaside Library’s website. “We are just about to start asking members of the com- munity to build some little libraries to be auctioned off,” said Nettie-Lee Calog, War- renton Community Library’s site manager. “I think they are a wonderful idea.” Calog lives down the street from Bartoldus’ tiny library. Right: Olivia Gas- ser, 5, is pleased with the book she found. Cindy Yingst The Columbia Press No “Shades of Grey,” for in- stance. Kaitlyn Gildner, 11, said her favorite find from the box was “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” On Tuesday, other neigh- borhood children found the Disney book “Tangled” and a biography written for teen- agers on Gen. George S. Pat- ton. Bartoldus recommends others consider building a tiny library for their neigh- borhood. “It’s everything you want from a project,” she said. “It’s something that’s self-sus- taining.” Rilea CO to speak at DAR event Col. Todd Farmer, com- manding officer at Camp Rilea, will be guest speaker when the Astoria Chapter of the Daughters of the Amer- ican Revolution meets at 11 a.m. Jan. 17. Astorian appointed to transit post Bryan Kidder, owner of R.B. Kidder Strategic Com- munications in Astoria, has been appointed to the Sun- set Empire Transportation District Board of Commis- sioners. Kidder fills the district’s Position 7 vacancy, which was created by the resigna- tion of Commissioner Jim Servino, who moved from the area. Kidder is a communica- tions professional whose career includes communi- cations, social media, ad- vertising, marketing and government and community relations. Above: Bartoldus’ grandkids and chil- dren from the neigh- borhood swarm the little library box. “Maybe I should take some of our sale books to place in the LFL,” she said. Bartoldus said she’s been surprised that her box has found favor with the neigh- borhood children. “I first thought it would be more adults,” she said. “I was surprised at how immediate- ly books went out and came in.” While there are plenty of books adults would enjoy in the box – and she rotates them with books she has pur- chased from Goodwill -- she is especially vigilant to en- sure there’s nothing too racy. 5 Women interested in mem- bership are invited to attend or may call Registrar Sue Glen at 503- 861-0574. The meeting is at Asto- ria Golf and Country Club, 33445 Sunset Beach Lane. He has been involved in a variety of civic organizations including Benton Franklin Transit Citizens Advisory Committee and the Richland Citizens Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation. “Bryan has been a user of public transportation here and in other parts of the country which he says gives him a perspective from the rider’s seat and this, com- bined with his past involve- ment with transportation issues and communications experience, will be helpful to the board,” transportation district Director Jeff Hazen said.
