Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Welch.
In 2013, the Edgewater branch of the public library was closed for reconstruction. Karen Dreyfuss of Alderman Harry Osterman’s 48th Ward office headed up a committee to try and come up with creative solutions to meet the needs of the community while the library was “down”. That committee gave rise to “Edgewater Reads”. One of the ideas that someone mentioned was “Little Free Libraries”. That fall, the first Little Free Library went up in a yard on Thorndale near Senn High School. That proved to be such a success that the Edgewater Reads Committee made plans to expand.
Thanks to strong support from the Alderman’s office, and with seed-funding from “The Overhead Project” (a local (501 c(3)foundation), Edgewater Reads now has over 100 Little Free Libraries in Edgewater — not bad, considering that Edgewater is under 2 square miles! Besides the volunteers and the support from Alderman Osterman’s office, another key ingredient has been funding. Thanks to the Overhead Project, the kits are offered free of charge to anyone in Edgewater! For their friends outside of Edgewater there is a suggested $50 donation to offset a portion of the costs.
In addition, the project has garnered interest from other groups. Recently the Chicago Friends School students and families put together 5 kits to install in underserved areas of the community beyond Edgewater. Le Penseur, a group working with youth on the south side of Chicago held their first Build Day using Edgewater Read kits and built 8 libraries which they will decorate and put up in their neighborhoods. Their next goal? 200 Little Free Libraries in Edgewater – with at least one on every single block! Saturation? Never a worry — each library has a unique assortment so you can always find a book that will appeal to you. Besides, it’s a part of their character — it’s what they do in Edgewater — Edgewater Reads!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road is ever without its bumps, but ours have been relatively minor. We’ve maintained a core group of volunteers, and even though we are 100% funded by donations, we’ve been able to meet the growing demand.
Edgewater Reads – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We adhere to a set of guiding principles that we agreed upon early on. We believe that: Open sharing of books, ideas, and stories enriches every aspect of life. Connecting people adds value to our community. Reading strengthens minds, moves hearts, we believe that building access to a learning community opens opportunities for everyone
We are very proud of the fact that the community as a whole has fully embraced this effort and has provided funding and support in so many ways. It’s one of the ways we gauge our success. In addition, we foster the notion of a networked community. We encourage sharing books among the libraries, and we partner with other groups, from the local Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and many businesses, to Friends of Edgewater Library and others.
We are very proud of the fact that Edgewater must surely have the highest concentration of Little Free Libraries in the world! Not every library is registered on the national Little Free Library map, but they are all listed on our website and our Facebook page.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Personally the best part has been seeing the way the community has supported Edgewater Reads. From the incredible volunteers, to Alderman Osterman’s support to the generous donations of money and books has been an affirmation of our life and identity as a community.
Contact Info:
- Address: Taylor Heideman
% 48th Ward Office
5533 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660 - Website: Edgewaterreads.org
- Phone: 773-784-5277
- Email: taylor@48thward.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=edgewater%20reads
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
