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.