It’s all about team building! We recently worked with Gale, part of Cengage Group, to build and place 21 Little Free Library book-sharing boxes in communities in Detroit along with Brilliant Detroit.
Employees of Gale, a division of Cengage Group that connects librarians and educators across the U.S. with a wide range of resources to help support the communities they serve, created the Little Free Libraries during a build event. The libraries were filled with books donated by Gale employees and Thorndike Press, Gale’s large print publisher. Gale says according to a study by Project Tomorrow, youth large print makes reading more accessible for developing readers and is proven to increase decoding and comprehension.
“Partnering with Brilliant Detroit and Little Free Library is about making books accessible to build stronger communities and create a more equitable society that loves to read,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager at Gale. “We believe in the power and joy of learning and large print books are a proven literacy intervention resource that can be life changing for developing readers. By making reading easier and less frustrating, these books are changing the mindsets young learners have about their own reading abilities. So, these Little Free Libraries we built are a great opportunity for us to share the books with Detroit youth in hopes of turning reluctant readers into lifelong readers.”
With Detroit’s literacy rates lower than the national average, Gale hopes that placing Little Free Libraries throughout the area will help improve these rates and give children and adults access to free books as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading.
“We are excited to work with Gale to bring these Little Free Libraries to our Detroit neighborhoods,” said Cindy Eggleton, co-founder and CEO of Brilliant Detroit. “We believe that access to books is critical to building a strong foundation for literacy and education. These Little Free Libraries will help make that a reality for families in our communities.”
Corporate build events like Gale’s help support Little Free Library’s mission to increase book access for all. Learn how you can host a build event like this one.