Little Free Library 'books' in to Shaftesbury Park

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has been working in partnership with children from the Amphitheatre Summer School and local artists to design and build a Little Free Library at Shaftesbury Park in Carrickfergus.

Little Free Library is an international initiative aimed at inspiring a love of reading by fostering community book exchanges. Passers-by can take a book to read or leave one for someone else to find.

This is the second Little Free Library to be launched in the borough with the first opening in April this year in Carnfunnock Country Park.

Cllr Eugene Reid officially opened the Little Free Library on Thursday 15 August.

He said: "Little Free Library is a worldwide phenomenon encouraging a love of reading, building community, and sparking creativity. Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

"Academically, children growing up in homes without books are on average three years behind children in homes with lots of books. One of the most successful ways to improve the reading achievement of children is to increase their access to books. Little Free Libraries can play an essential role by providing 24/7 access to books, and encourage a love of reading, in areas where books are scarce."

Cllr Cheryl Johnston was involved in the initiative throughout and added: “This is a great incentive to encourage more young people to read and enjoy being outside, away from the distractions of technology. The focus of this particular Little Free Library is good mental health, a cause that I am passionate about. The children drew images showing what makes them happy and what improves their mood, and all the images were incorporated in the Little Free Library."