BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The 13 Little Free Libraries scattered around Bloomfield haven’t been neglected during the past six months. They’ve been taken under the wing of Bloomfield High School’s National Honor Society members, who have been checking in on them periodically to organize, restock and refresh the books inside, as well as to maintain the structure that holds them.
“When everything went remote last year I had already been talking to the NHS advisers, and knowing that they were needing service hours,” BHS librarian Karah Iansito said in a phone interview with The Independent Press on April 2. “I thought there could be some collaboration there.”
Before the pandemic, the high school’s library volunteers would check in on the two Little Free Libraries within walking distance of BHS, and now NHS members are picking up the job to fill their community service hours. Six of the school district’s eight elementary schools have little libraries: Brookdale, Franklin, Carteret, Fairview, Oak View and Watsessing, which has two. There is also a library at Vassar Field, and others are on State Street, Lobell Court, Park Avenue, Parkview Drive and Watchung Avenue.
“There’s so many in Bloomfield now, and they’re little gems,” Iansito said. “Sometimes what happens is someone will put one up and then not have a plan for who will steward it. That happened at Vassar.”
The door of Vassar’s little library had been vandalized — it had been completely removed. Now it’s been fixed, and Watsessing’s two Little Free Libraries are next on the waiting list to get a facelift. Those two had been installed at the elementary school a long time ago.
“The ones at Watsessing are old, so the NHS kids are going to sand and paint them,” Iansito said. The students have also built a sign for Carteret’s little library.
Bloomfield will be returning to in-person learning on April 19, and Iansito is looking forward to meeting the duos of NHS students who have teamed up around town to take care of the libraries. Not having been a classroom teacher for a few years, she doesn’t get as much face-to-face time with them virtually.
“They’ve done such a great job with it,” Iansito said. “I said they could stop when they meet their hours, but I think they’re enjoying it. I hope they continue.”
Photos Courtesy of Karah Iansito
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