Little Free Library Ribbon Cutting in Marietta

Community leaders and elected officials recently gathered to officially open a Little Free Library along Whitlock Avenue in Marietta.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting books in the hands of children and adults in communities around the world with a vision to have “a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader.”

These book-sharing boxes remove barriers to book access by being available 24/7 with free accessibility. LFLs operate under the “Take One, Leave One” theory which encourages readers to not only take a book, but to leave one for others when there is an ability to do so.

A ribbon cutting was held on Nov. 12 at the Designers Hair Studio & Hair Growth Center, 1001 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta. Studio and Center owner and Library Steward Carla Byrd-Plat was joined by Marietta City Council member M. Carlyle Kent, Marietta City Schools Chief Impact Officer Kim Blass, Wellstar officials, Cobb County Public Library Engagement Manager Marcy Payne, community members and other leaders for the event.

Byrd expressed her commitment to increasing access to books by stating: “The world opens up to a child when they learn to read.” She shared that some of her fondest memories “come from time spent reading to and with my son and grandchildren.”

The LFL was a collaborative effort with Marietta High School art club members painting the box.

Councilman Kent has made literacy and language development a priority. He notes that: “Reading is the key to accessing so many things in life including employment and healthcare.”

As a Little Free Library community partner, Cobb Collaborative has a goal of establishing LFLs throughout the county. This library is the eighth one dedicated in 2024 and the 64th one overall for the organization.

“We are pleased to be able to increase access to books for children of all ages,” said Collaborative Executive Director Irene Barton. “Print awareness in terms of knowing what books signify, how we read, how to hold a book, is a tenet of the science of reading and we are honored to partner with Marietta City Schools and the City of Marietta in a community-wide coalition to improve reading skills for all students.”

The Cobb Collaborative also serves as the local point of contact for the Get Georgia Reading Campaign. Research from the campaign demonstrates that development and use of language skills from childhood through adolescence can have a dramatic and positive impact on an individual’s quality of life and life outcomes.

For more information, contact Barton at ibarton@cobbcollaborative.org.