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Meet the Tacoma Community House New Little Free Library!

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We love the new Tacoma Community House Library!

Part of our project has been taking your book donations straight to libraries on streets that don’t have a Tacoma Public Library branch nearby. Thanks for all your book donations!

Duggan, Brooks & Books Project

We finally made it to our goal of installing a second new Little Free Library in Tacoma! Back in 2019 The Rotary Literacy Committee and Tacoma Community House helped us identify two locations with a need for greater access to books and that year we put up the first of two new libraries in the Hilltop community: the Peace Little Free Library. This week—after delays of all varieties—we celebrated the installation of a new Little Free Library at Tacoma Community House!

Ever since the spring of 2019 we’ve been partnering with Dr. Jamie of Brooks Dental Studio to support Little Free Libraries in Tacoma. Our project started with interviewing the caretakers of four existing Little Free Libraries and sharing their stories through articles, while hosting a book drive to keep those and other libraries well-stocked with good reading material. Since then, the books have never really stopped coming, and we still enjoy making sure they get out into libraries throughout Tacoma.

We’re excited for you to meet the newest library! But first, here’s a little bit about Little Free Libraries.

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“Take a book. Share a book.” Some days you might do both, other times just one or the other. You can even stop by just to tidy the shelves!

What’s a Little Free Library?

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization founded in Wisconsin in 2012, although it actually began in 2009 when Todd H. Bol built the first Little Free Library. Todd passed away in 2018, leaving a legacy of literacy. Ten years after the first Little Free Library, there are now over 90,000. They are in all 50 states, and in 91 countries! Tacoma Little Free Libraries are part of a global community of book sharing.

Little Free Libraries are mini libraries outside homes and businesses. Folks can purchase kits, or design their own. Little Free Libraries are free to use and open to everyone. They’re here for all of us and they’re meant to be shared.

Visit the Little Free Library site to learn more about how it all started, explore a searchable map of local libraries, or register your own Little Library if you haven’t already.

Introducing Tacoma Community House & The New Little Free Library

We gathered with Jamie, Craig—the designer and builder—and Steve who helped with installation to celebrate this library’s first day in action.

You’ll find the Tacoma Community House Little Free Library at 1314 South L Street in the Hilltop Neighborhood. This library is right outside the front doors of the Tacoma Community House.

Image from Tacoma Community House - One of TCH’s many roles is helping people achieve US citizenship.

We’re so glad Jamie called us up in January of 2019 to get to know us, make friends, and start a community project together.

Tacoma Community House is an old organization with a very new building and a now a brand new little library! People who believe in community have kept the work of TCH going since 1910—that’s 113 years! TCH programs serve people from over 115 countries and focus on immigration, education, employment, and victim advocacy. From reading programs within Tacoma Public Schools to adult language fluency programs at the center, from citizenship classes to legal advocacy, TCH empowers everyone to find belonging and thrive.

The TCH Mission: “Tacoma Community House creates opportunities for immigrants and other community members in the Puget Sound region through comprehensive services focused on self-sufficiency, inclusion, and advocacy.”

Our partner Jamie’s good friend Craig designed and built this new Little Free Library. And the connection is all about community. Jamie and Craig both love Expand Yoga and practice there regularly. When she learned about Craig’s carpentry skills, Jamie approached him about creating the 2nd Duggan, Brooks & Books sponsored library for Hilltop. Craig accepted, and on installation day we learned he lives close by in the neighborhood. He chose warm, sunny colors to make the library welcoming, painted the exterior with organic, rectangular shapes to reflect the siding on the main facility, and used some reclaimed materials too. We love it!

Follow Tacoma Community House on Facebook and Instagram, or visit them to learn more about volunteering in their programs or supporting their work. And make sure to drop by the library to give a book or take a book this summer.

If you’re loaded up with some books you’ve loved but want to share, feel free to drop them by Brook’s Dental Studio on Broadway, or just send us a message. We’re happy to make sure they get out into little libraries around the city. Happy reading!

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Hi, I'm Michael Duggan, a licensed broker with Windermere Abode. I would love to help you through the home buying or selling process. Please contact me to set up a meeting and get things started.