Don’t live near a library? The city of Columbia’s got you covered

Magnus Williams, owner of Got Milk Cereal Bar, has a mini-library inside his business.

He said the mini-libraries provided by the city of Columbia are a great opportunity for kids to read more. He plans to reward kids with treats – cookies or slices of cake – if they come in and tell him what book they’re reading and what the book is about.

“Reading is fundamental, and we all see in different aspects of our life that a lot of people don’t read like they should,” Williams said. It’s crucial to “start off at a younger age and let them know the importance of reading and being able to communicate effectively.”

The goal with Columbia’s mini-libraries is to meet the growing demand for accessible reading resources, bringing books directly to communities that need them most. The painted metal boxes containing the books mostly target children. But one mini-library is at the Lourie Senior Center off Blossom Street.

Organizers are setting up boxes at childcare centers, community centers and some small, locally owned businesses, said Skot Garrick, strategic initiative administrator for the city of Columbia.

The boxes were painted by children at two after-school programs in the city’s parks and recreation department, Garrick said.

Felicia White, owner of Beautee Shop salon near Got Milk, learned about the project from Williams. She now has a mini-library in her hair salon.

Kids don’t go to library branches and check out books anymore, White said. She hopes that kids with salon appointments take the opportunity to read while they wait or get their hair done.

“It’s very vital that we still have books in places where kids can read and educate themselves a little bit,” White said.

The city unveiled the program during a press conference at Saint John Baptist Church and Preparatory School on Thursday.

Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the city wants to inspire creative thoughts in young people’s minds. The project’s goal is to have books available across Columbia.

The mini-libraries allow kids to expand their reading capabilities, creativity and dreams, Rickenmann said.

“I think we got a couple of presidents in here, probably a mayor or two, a vice president, CEOs,” the mayor said, referring to the Saint John students gathered around.

Rickenmann said the idea came from observing neighborhoods’ distance from libraries. The city is focused on areas that don’t have easy access to libraries or don’t have transportation to get there.

“We got overwhelmed with books in City Hall when we put out a call for the community to bring books to stock these,” Rickenmann said.

The mayor said he wants residents to engage with the libraries as much as possible.

“Take a book, read it, bring back another book and make sure it gets passed around,” he said. “We’ve got many books to share because of the outpour from this community. We’re not going to run out of books.”

District 1 City Councilwoman Tina Herbert said reading helps create exposure and growth.

“I still read to this day, just to get away from all of the hectic things that we have going on,” Herbert said. “So I’m inspired by this project.”