Though a new public library for East Hamilton residents may not be on the radar, the Friends of Collegedale Public Library have added a free option to help them get books into the home.
On April 2, the Collegedale nonprofit introduced the community to its new Little Free Library during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Imagination Station.
The concept for the miniature library was derived from a Wisconsin-based nonprofit of the same name, which has helped install more than 5,000 weatherproof kiosks in 70 countries since it began in 2009.
The house-shaped library, which is larger than a birdhouse and can hold about 40 books, operates on an honor-based loan and exchange system. Anyone can borrow a book without a library card so long as they either return it or replace it with another book. The system ensures that the kiosk will be filled with an ever-changing variety of reading materials for locals to peruse.
"We just hope that families and folks that are visiting the Imagination Station will stop by the Little Free Library and take a break, pick a book, read a book and put it back, or take one and bring one," said Collegedale Public Library Director Joanne Stanfield.
Kelly Hicks, Friends of Collegedale Public Library president, said she has been working to bring the Little Free Library to Collegedale since she learned about it at a conference three years ago. She and fellow members worked to raise $275 to purchase the micro-library and register it with the founding nonprofit.
At its dedication, the library was filled with about 30 books: 25 for children and the rest for adults. Hicks is hoping the kiosk's placement will add an element of education for kids at the nearby playground and give parents something to do while watching their kids.
Most importantly, Hicks said, the micro-library will give those unable to afford a library card a chance to take a book and read it at home.
While Collegedale Public Library is free to those living within city limits, nonresidents must pay an annual $60 fee to borrow materials. Stanfield said that fee has been a deterrent for many hoping to check books out of the library.
"That's a lot of money for some people," agreed Shelly Dell, Friends of Collegedale Library member. "It might not be a big deal for many, but $60 a year to just [to borrow books from] the library is an extra additional cost. So I think [the Little Free Library] is a great idea for people who can't afford a membership."
Library officials have tried unsuccessfully to reduce the nonresident fee in recent months, and those outside the city have asked area planning officials for amenities like public libraries, which they said would save them from driving hours through traffic to reach the nearest resources.
Those other resources include the Chattanooga Public Library and its three branches, which have 7,120 card-holders from East Brainerd's 37421 ZIP code. Those residents checked out more than 131,800 items in 2016, according to Richard Beeland, the Chattanooga library's chief administrative officer. However, all four locations, including the closer Eastgate branch, charge visitors living outside Chattanooga city limits $50 per year for a library card, meaning residents in Ooltewah, East Ridge and parts of East Brainerd must pay.
Collegedale's Little Free Library is the second registered in the East Hamilton area. The first is located at 8156 Burgundy Circle, just three minutes off Standifer Gap Road.
Though Collegedale library officials admitted the micro-library's small selection of books would not be enough to satisfy the community's need for full public libraries, Hicks said it will at least provide families with another option for at-home reading, which studies have shown is one of the most effective ways to improve children's literacy skills.
Based on the reception of the Little Free Library at Imagination Station, Hicks said the Friends of Collegedale Public Library may work to place more kiosks around the area. Potential locations would include apartment complexes, schools and other areas with heavy foot traffic.