In an ongoing effort to promote literacy in Greenport, elementary principal Joseph Tsaveras and reading teacher Amy Gammon have spearheaded a “little libraries” project that will make books available year-round to children throughout the community.
The project came out of a brainstorming session Tsaveras and Gammon had in March.
“The literacy initiative began last year with our bookmobile, which is a traveling library we use to bring books to kids during the summer,” said Tsaveras. “Amy Gammon and I started thinking of other ways we could promote reading and came up with the idea of using “little libraries” throughout the village to make books available to kids.”
“Little libraries are small boxes permanently mounted and stocked with books for children to borrow from whenever they want to,” explained Tsaveras. After looking into how other towns have implemented the construction and maintenance of the boxes, Gammon and Tsaveras came up with the design of what they wanted them to look like.
“Why not make it look like a book?” said Tsaveras.
They presented their ideas to Greenport technology teacher Michael Davies, who managed the construction of the little libraries, enlisting the help of his students. Davies used the school’s laser engraver to etch a nautical imprint of Greenport into the glass fronts of the boxes.
Five little libraries will be installed at various spots around Greenport Village, including Mitchell Park and the Sixth Street beach. Floyd Memorial Library assistant director Poppy Johnson will help Tsaveras and Gammon maintain the boxes, which will be filled with books donated by community members and by the library.
The total cost for materials was about $600, said Tsaveras, some of which he hopes the village will pay for. He will bring one of the little libraries to Thursday night’s Village Board meeting to present it to the community.
On Monday, July 31 at noon, a ceremony will be held in Mitchell Park, when the first little library will be installed there. Mayor George Hubbard, Greenport Village Trustee Jack Martilotta, Superintendent David Gamberg and others will be in attendance. The remaining libraries should be installed some time in the next week.
For Tsaveras, having the little libraries project nearly complete is something he’s been looking forward to.
“I want kids in the park or at the beach who forgot to bring a book go over to the little library, grab a book, sit down and read it,” he says.
The bookmobile, driven by Tsaveras and manned by Gammon and a few volunteer students, makes the rounds of Greenport Village starting at 11 a.m. every Wednesday during the summer.
Donations of children’s books can be dropped off at Greenport School or at Floyd Memorial Library.
