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A couple thousand books have been patiently waiting in a back room of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Learning Resource Center (LRC) for their new homes. The time is approaching when many of them will be transferred to Little Libraries located throughout East St. Louis, according to outgoing LRC Director Rebecca Harper, an SIUE alumnae. 

“Little Libraries are a wonderful thing,” said Harper, of Edwardsville. “They are everywhere in Edwardsville, and I thought it would be great to bring them to the East St. Louis area.”

More specifically, Harper thought it would be a perfect fit for SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start centers. After working as LRC’s director for the past four years, Harper is set to leave SIUE on Aug. 31. She will return to the classroom to teach science at a private middle school in Alton. Harper is a certified teacher for K-9 and a certified librarian for K-12. She earned a bachelor’s in elementary education from SIUE in 2001. 

The idea of erecting Little Libraries throughout the St. Clair County Head Start service area started more than a year ago when Harper and a former LRC coordinator brainstormed the idea. After receiving encouragement and direction from SIUE supporters such as former SIUE East St. Louis Center Assistant Director Tiffany Caguitla and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Rachel Stack, Harper and her team embarked on their mission to help spread literacy – free of charge. 

Harper’s first step was to ask for book donations, which led her to social media. 

“At first, I wanted to start out small with one or two libraries because the pandemic had just started,” shared Harper. “I put a request for book donations on my Facebook page and on LRC’s Facebook page, and the donations just started pouring in. We also received books from SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start teachers, who were clearing out their inventory. We have received more than 2,000 books.” 

Because of the tremendous number of books and her work with Head Start, Harper expanded the number of libraries to eight, in order to have one outside of the seven centers: Belleville, Bluffview, Cahokia, Discovery Center, Helen Davis, JJK and Lovejoy, and the Lessie Bates collaboration. Previously, the librarian had routinely provided literacy lessons at Discovery Center, Helen Davis, Cahokia and JJK. 

The next project question, as to who would build the libraries, took a pleasant, collaborative turn. “The Girl Scout troop that meets at Greater New Hope Baptist Church in East St. Louis built the Little Libraries,” explained Harper. “Gwendolyn Childs heads up the Girl Scout troop. Gwen’s husband, who is in construction, directed the junior high school girls in building the libraries. We were able to buy the supplies needed through monies given to us by the SIUE Foundation.” 

The Little Libraries were completed Thursday, July 15, and SIUE Facilities Management at the ESLC is expected to install them sometime soon. 

“The libraries are for children and adults,” said Harper. “People can take a book or bring a book, and each individual Head Start center will be responsible to populate its library, which will eventually end up populating on its own.” 

“It is a great thing to be able to put a book in a hand, whether it’s brand new, gently used, or about to fall apart, and have a child read it or senior citizen excited to give it or get it.” 

The SIUE East St. Louis Learning Resource Center (LRC) is organized as a full-service public library focusing on youth and adult community outreach, programs and collections. The library also contributes to the success of higher education opportunities and career development provided by the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus (ESLHEC). The LRC supports the diverse range of students and public patrons on the ESLHEC, and encourages them to succeed and learn new skills provided by the LRC community collection and programs. 

Photo courtesy by Rebecca Harper:
SIUE East St. Louis Learning Resource Center (LRC) collaborated with University and community partners to furnish, build and install eight Little Libraries at SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start centers.

L-R: Displaying their finished products are LRC Program Assistant Danayka Saavedra Berrocal, girl scouts Natalie Crockett, Bailey Beverly,  J'Ani Humphrey D'Nyah Jefferson, girl scout volunteer Stephine Conner and LRC Director Rebecca Harper. 

SIUE Facilities Management staff help load up completed Little Libraries.