No matter where you are in Hattiesburg, it’s not hard to find a Little Free Library – there are more than 30 across the Hub City, including locations at City Hall, Kamper Park and Edwards Street Fellowship Center.
In fact, Hattiesburg holds more Little Free Libraries than any other city in the state, which is why representatives from Mississippi Public Broadcasting visited Wednesday to cover a story on the subject.
“(The story will focus on) that they’re there and they’re available for the public,” said Art McAlpin, senior producer/director at MPB. “We were driving around and we saw them, and we wondered what the deal was with those.
“So we’re just doing a story about what they are and why they’re there.”
The Little Free Libraries are a community movement throughout the United States and worldwide which offers free books housed in small containers, designed so readers can stop by and pick up a book to read or drop off a book to share.
Hattiesburg’s Little Free Library initiative was headed up by Rebekah Stark Johnson, executive director of the Hattiesburg Arts Council, and Becky Montague, president of the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art.
“It’s really exciting,” Johnson said. “It makes us so proud of Hattiesburg to launch something that encourages reading and encourages community interaction.
“It also focuses on the arts, and how creative the people are in Hattiesburg – there are some amazing Little Free Libraries that have been designed by architects, like Larry Albert and his crew. It’s amazing.”
After arriving in Hattiesburg, the MPB staff visited various Little Free Library locations, shot video and conducted interviews with city officials.
“They’re community libraries – they’re really designed for the neighborhoods or the area that they are in,” Johnson said. “So what we encourage … is that people come and bring books and fill them up, and if they need a repair, paint them and fix them up.
“The more that we all take it on as a project, it’s so much more fun and exciting and engaging. What I love, too, is that people send us pictures of where they travel and they have Little Free Libraries in other places, so you sort of see how there’s a community of people all over the country.”
The Little Free Library story will air some time in the fall on MPB’s Mississippi Roads program, which is hosted by Walt Grayson and showcases Mississippi’s unique landmarks, attractions, arts and history.
“Obviously I’m thrilled, because we all in Hattiesburg know what a great city and community we have here for creative, contributing people,” Montague said. “But it’s nice to get that word out all over the state, so I’m just thrilled.”
Montague said each Little Free Library has a steward who helps keep the books stocked, but the public’s help is always welcome.
“All our stewards could use some help replenishing books from time to time, so there’s a steady supply,” she said. “We don’t them to get empty and have people quit checking on them, because they really are a great little addition to the community and neighborhoods.”
While in Hattiesburg, the MPB crew also visited the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, housed in the McCain Library and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi. The collection, which was founded in 1966 by Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond, is one of North America’s leading research centers of children’s literature, boasting original manuscripts and illustrations of more than 1,300 authors and more than 180,000 published books dating from 1530 to the present.
“We’re always happy to have MPB come by and talk to us,” said Ellen Ruffin, curator of the collection. “Any chance we get to visit with them is a good opportunity for us to spread our name in the state.”
To see a full list of Little Free Library locations in Hattiesburg, visit www.hattiesburgartscouncil.org.
