Little Free Library Opens in Cos Cob

On Tuesday Greenwich residents Daisy Florin and Kate Marlow showed off a brand new “Little Free Library” they donated to the Town.

The library, located in the Cos Cob’s Mill Pond Chess Park, near the corner of Strickland Rd and Putnam Ave, displays the motto, “Take a Book, Share a Book.”

This free library is similar to the ones at Cos Cob train station and Tod’s Point, but was purchased from Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges, and is made of robust resin.

And for added durability, the Town’s Parks & Rec Dept anchored it in the ground with cement.

“They were really, really nice about it,” Florin said of Parks & Rec, adding that she’d initially reached out to First Selectman Fred Camillo, who connected her to Parks & Rec director Joe Siciliano.

The little library came with a post, and Parks & Rec offered to anchor it in cement so it would stand up over time.

“When Daisy and Kate reached out to me with this idea, I loved it,” Camillo said. “It combines community spirit with an essential activity, which is reading. It is also in a place that has a village green feel to it. The whole concept really defines community.”

Kate Marlow and Daisy Florin have been friends for many years and connected over their shared love of books. They split the cost of a Little Free Library, which the town’s Parks & Rec Dept installed in Cos Cob. Oct 6, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager

“You can make them out of anything, but we bought this one,” Florin said, adding that she and Marlow had spotted little libraries during cross country travels.

Florin and Marlow thought the middle of a pandemic was an ideal time to create a little library.

First, Greenwich public libraries have not yet reopened for browsing yet, but people are spending a lot more time reading.

Also, the book swap at Holly Hill has closed, unfortunately, though people can donate gently used books into bins there that Discover Books empties and sells online or donates to literacy-focused or community-based non-profit organizations, including libraries and schools.

In Cos Cob’s Mill Pond Chess Park, the Little Free Library has the motto, “Take a Book, Share a Book.” Oct 6, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager

“The idea is people give one, and take one,” Florin said. “But you don’t have to leave a book off to take one.”

Florin and Marlow will be keeping an eye on the little library to keep it tidy and replenished when necessary.

The two women, who have known each other for many years, said they connect over books and wanted to do something positive and happy as the pandemic drags on.

They loved the Little Free Library’s mission to create a movement to share books, bring people together and create nurture a communities of readers.

“Books are positive, and the two of us are big readers,” Marlow said. “Books have made me happy in the past several months.”

The Little Free Library is located in Cos Cob’s Mill Pond Chess Park near the corner of Strickland and Putnam Ave. Oct 6, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager

“Our Little Free Library doesn’t just belong to us, it belongs to the whole city,” Florin added. “It’s our hope that this Little Free Library will bring a little more joy, a little more connection and a whole lot more books to our community.”

The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation, and the American Library Association, and Reader’s Digest named them one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.”

Each year, nearly 10 million books are shared in Little Free Libraries. To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.

“We’d love for more of these to be established around town,” Marlow said.

Anyone with books to donate for the Little Free Library can leave them off or contact Florin at [email protected] or Marlow at [email protected].