A new Little Free Library (LFL) has been installed at the West Nantmeal Township Recreation Area, where community members are invited to take a book or bring a book to share.

The library's stewards are Evan and Lana Pellegrino, who are both avid readers and wanted to share their love of books with others. "We moved to Elverson a year ago, and we started to come to the park and thought it would be really good idea to have a Little Free Library for (park visitors) because there are many great things here at the park," said Lana.

"We want to encourage people to read," Lana said, adding, "(Our son, Declan,) is just learning to read at the age of 6."

The couple bought a kit for the book exchange box from the LFL organization, and it was installed by township workers near the park's tennis courts in a spot that is under 24-hour video surveillance. The LFL contains a plaque that features a quote by Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life."

"We went to the township in the fall of 2020, and it was approved earlier this year," said Evan. "I bought the post and the kit and dropped them off and (the township) took care of everything."

After the LFL was put into place, Lana announced the installation on various Facebook pages. She and Evan stocked the LFL initially, but they hope that community members and neighbors will keep the library filled.

She noted that one of the family's favorite LFLs is located at Crow's Nest Preserve in Elverson. "It's really cool. When you are hiking through a field and through the woods, you come to this big clearing. Someone cleared space, added Adirondack chairs and put in a Little Free Library," Lana said. "You have to do the hike to find it. "

Lana noted that LFLs were the go-to place to get books during the pandemic when many libraries were closed or had limited services. "When COVID hit, many Little Free Libraries were turned into the free food pantries because of so many people losing their jobs and being food insecure," Lana said.

This spring, the couple plans to add a sign on the side of the box so that it is visible from the road and possibly add flowers around the base of the post.

According to http://www.littlefreelibrary.org, the goal of the organization is to promote literacy and reading by facilitating the building of free book exchange boxes worldwide. Readers may visit the aforementioned website to learn more about the organizations and to locate other LFLs in the area.

The West Nantmeal Township Recreation Area is located next to the township building at 455 N. Manor Road (Route 82), Elverson. The park includes baseball, softball and soccer fields; a playground; tennis courts; volleyball courts; basketball courts; a walking trail; and more. For more information, visit http://www.westnantmeal.com/park-recreation.