Arts council opens free book repository in southern Indiana

(AP) — When students from Clark and Floyd County schools set out to do book drives to stock the Little Free Libraries that are spreading through the community, Arts Council of Southern Indiana executive director Julie Schweitzer said she was amazed by the results.

Schweitzer has been working with youth philanthropy and art groups to plan, design and install 24 Little Free Libraries throughout the communities over the next two years.

The program launch was funded by a $15,000 Community Foundation of Southern Indiana Catalyst Grant and retired newspaper boxes were donated by the News and Tribune.

To date, three boxes have been sponsored by funds raised, designed and implemented — the CFSI's Youth Philanthropy Council and students from Leadership Southern Indiana's NexGen program were at the helm, and brought on students from art clubs at Providence, New Albany and Silver Creek High Schools to complete the projects.

Barbara Bertram, a volunteer at the Arts Council through the National Able Network, said she knew some things about carpentry and loved books, so she offered to build shelves and categorize the literature.

The $1,000 per box sponsorship goes toward costs associated with implementing it; $300 is paid to the artist, in this case the high school art programs, Schweitzer said.

Paint, supplies, concrete foundation if needed, registration and opening reception costs also come out of this.

Through Leadership Southern Indiana's NextGen program, group members executed a box installation at Silver Creek High School.

When people travel in this way, they can return books to boxes states or even countries away.