Cobb Collaborative Opening Little Free Libraries


By Carolyn Cunningham, For the AJC
Aug 6, 2021

This year Cobb Collaborative has a goal of installing 21 Little Free Libraries across Cobb County.

On July 26, number 6 was dedicated in Smyrna, with the sponsorship of BNI Smyrna Business Exchange.

Number 7 was dedicated at Sanders Elementary School in Austell on July 30 that was built and painted by CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) students at Osborne High School and featured Sanders Elementary School colors as well as the Sanders Super Star logo.

Cobb Collaborative Executive Director Irene Barton said, “Any community benefits from the addition of a Little Free Library, but we have an intentional focus on under-resourced neighborhoods because we know that children in low-income households have approximately one book per 300 children versus middle-income households who enjoy approximately 13 titles per child.”

In partnership with Cobb County School District Psychological Services Department and as the local point of contact for the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, Cobb Collaborative is working to improve third grade reading levels in Cobb County by helping to increase access to books throughout the county.

Data reveals that children who read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to graduate from high school.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit dedicated to putting books in the hands of children and adults in communities around the world. They operate under the “Take One, Leave One” theory.

Information: lbarton@CobbCollaborative.org, bit.ly/3fAnvgW, LittleFreeLibrary.org, GetGeorgiaReading.org

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