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WILKES-BARRE — When you see a newspaper box on a street corner you probably assume the morning paper is inside, not a bunch of books.
On Saturday morning, members of the Leadership Wilkes-Barre Class of 2019 got together at the Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works to convert donated Times Leader newspaper boxes into bookcases for a special endeavor — Learning With Books: A Little Free Library Project.
“We had a team meeting in September,” said group leader Megan Filak. “We tossed around ideas of what we could do and decided to do this because the impact could reach a lot of people.”
The concept for the free library is for people to take a book or leave a book — whatever they choose.
Each converted newspaper box will serve as its own free library.
Filak believes in the group’s tag line: “Connecting our communities to the world through the sharing of knowledge.”
“Reading is so important,” Filak explained. “It can open up so many different avenues for people of all ages.”
The group is partnering with local businesses across the county to host the libraries in front of their businesses and help maintain them.
The six newspaper boxes turned libraries can be found in Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke, Pittston and the Back Mountain. Exact locations will be revealed on Monday, according to Filak.
Filak did not specify the design of the boxes or the color they will be painted but she assured they will be a great addition to the communities where they end up.
“Each library will have a map on the top so people can check out the other locations,” she added.
The group will also be holding a fundraiser, “Laughs for Libraries,” at Wise Crackers Comedy Club inside the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino on March 1 to raise funds for the initiative.
For more information about the group and its goals, check it out on Facebook at “Learning With Books: A Little Free Library Project.”