Tiny library, wide impact

ELLENBURG CENTER | Jake Manor may seem like an average 11-year-old. He likes to fish, farm, wrestle, play soccer, and read. And although most 11-year-olds don't have a free library, located in their sideyard, he does. Jake's Free Library was opened in 2020 when Jake was in third grade. It came together with the help of Jake's family through donated time, resources, and materials. "There was nothing to do," Jake said on why he opened the library. Shantell Manor, Jake's mom, provided more context about why the library opened, and said, " We always do a community service thing, and he saw the little libraries. You know the ones where you take a book, leave a book, but then he saw a playhouse that actually looked like this. We put it together so people could actually come and take out books but also we post events." The library which started out with only 10 books, has grown to more than 600 books thanks to community donations. The library currently has about 500 books for people of all ages, but there are more books in storage that are rotated into the library throughout the year. "There's 50 books just right there," Jake said pointing to a small bookshelf on the back wall. This library may be small, but it's cherished all over the North Country as people have traveled as far as Saranac Lake to check out a book. "It's hard to say, we get new people all the time," Shantell said about the number of visitors the library gets. While the library does not have an online presence, they stay in touch with the community through notices posted on a bulletin board inside the library and through its mailing list visitors can sign up for. In order to keep track of all the books and visitors, the Manors have devised a checkout system. After finding a book to checkout, you pull out the library card from the back of the book, write down your information, put the card in the designated bin on the table, and enjoy the book. There is no time frame for when books need to be returned, so readers can take their time to enjoy the book they selected regardless of if it takes them a week or a month. Each book in the library is marked on the inside of the front cover with a Jake's Free Library sticker. A wide variety of books isn't the only thing the library offers, they also have free activities for the community to sign up for. This past month the library hosted a birdhouse building activity and a personalized tie-dye towel-making activity, which 19 kids signed up for. All materials for these activities are supplied to the participants for free. "Everything we do host is free," Shantell explained. With the county fair in town, the library is going to be taking a break from hosting its summer activities, but the fun will resume in September. On Sunday, Sept. 18 from noon to 5 p.m. Jake's Free Library will be hosting a Fall Festival. This event will be free to everyone and will have kids' games, kids' crafts, face painting, a hay ride, corn hole, and photo boards. There will also be a fall bake sale and craft sale. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at this event. The library, located at 408 Ellenburg Center Rd., operates on a self-serve basis and is open daily, Monday through Sunday.

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Tiny library, wide impact

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