Village Collective Refreshes Little Free Libraries with “Once Upon a Neighborhood”

Volunteers at “Once Upon a Neighborhood,” September 26.

From September 18th through the 25th, Village Collective ran a book collection box inside Ivy Restaurant in Wheaton as part of “Once Upon a Neighborhood,” a community book drive aimed at refreshing Little Free Libraries throughout Wheaton, Warrenville, and Winfield. The effort wrapped up with a Community Refresh Day on Saturday, September 26th from 10:30 to 11:30am on Ivy Restaurant’s patio, where volunteers gathered to sort donations, prepare books for sharing, and form small teams to restock Little Free Libraries around the area.

More than a dozen families took part, including a number of children, and the turnout brought plenty of new faces into the fold. Local author Kriste Sveen donated brand new books to the drive, adding a special touch to the collection. The sorting event itself came together on a beautiful, sunny morning, made possible thanks to the hospitality of Dick O’Gorman at Ivy Restaurant.

Neighbors and families work together to sort donations, September 26.

Efforts like this one add up. A recent study on Little Free Library’s impact found that 92% of children reported having greater access to books because of Little Free Library boxes, and kids who visit one read an average of 1.1 additional days per week. Keeping local Little Free Libraries stocked is a small effort with a real, measurable payoff for kids in the community.

The books collected are already finding new homes. Beyond restocking Little Free Libraries across the community, remaining adult genre titles are being donated to local assisted living facilities, extending the drive’s reach even further.

Under the leadership of Amy Erkenswick, Village Collective continues to bring neighbors together in simple, meaningful ways. Up next is a Christmas Toy Drive, held in partnership with The Neighbors Project to support under-resourced families in the area.

This event is supported by the American Stewardship Initiative (ASI), which advances a leadership framework that encourages civic engagement and strengthens communities. ASI is reviving the American Dream by fostering civic engagement and recruiting neighbors to reengage in their communities.

https://medium.com/@americanstewardshipinitiative/village-collective-refreshes-little-free-libraries-with-once-upon-a-neighborhood-0d3bc3bee16c