Lily Young reads a book at the new "Little Free Library" installed outside of ReMarkable Floral on Highway 83. Young will be managing the library that contains books, music CDs and VHS videos for all ages.
Carolyn Lewis, Tom Browder and Lily Young installing the first "Little Free Library" outside of ReMarkable Floral Aug. 11. Browder hopes to add at least one more in Seeley Lake, one in Condon and another in Potomac.
Carolyn Lewis, Lily Young and Tom Browder pose with the new Little Free Library outside ReMarkable Floral on Highway 83 in Seeley Lake.
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake resident Tom Browder and his wife Carolyn Lewis installed a free library outside ReMarkable Floral Tuesday, Aug. 11. This was part of his effort to reach out to communities while campaigning for House District 92.
Browder said instead of using his campaign funding to send mailers and do phone calls, he decided to use recycled materials to build "Food Bank" boxes and libraries from East Missoula to the Swan Valley. Browder, Lewis and their friends Cheri and Steve Thompson and Lana Rocks helped construct the boxes from re-used, donated materials. The cabinets were purchased from Home Resource in Missoula.
Browder installed two Food Banks in East Missoula, one in West Riverside in Bonner and one in Clinton. This was the first free library. Browder hopes to put additional libraries around Seeley Lake and in Condon and Potomac.
"The thing we realized is that if you put a Food Bank here it is a bear attractant," said Browder.
ReMarkable Floral volunteered the space and the owner's granddaughter Lily Young is managing the library. Browder said they will need to make sure books aren't donated like an old textbook or something that wouldn't be interesting or useful to others.
Young agreed to manage it because she loves reading books.
"I read books because they are more enjoyable and I get sucked up into them easily," said Young. She added that a lot of people don't have books and they get bored easily. This is a good opportunity for people to have access to books for all ages. The free library also has music CDs and VHS movies that people can take and leave as well.
Browder encourages people to bring down books that they have read and exchange them for something they haven't read.
"It was a feel-good thing to do," said Browder. "It is bright blue for books and maybe it becomes a social pivot point for the community. There are books for all ages from Michael Crichton to 'My First Book of Colors.'"
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