Kicking off Sat 5/30 @ 11:30am – 2pm
It’s summer. You’re at the beach. Life is good — except for one thing. You’re sitting there with nothing to read. Maybe you forgot your book. Maybe you need more reading in your life but just haven’t gone to a library.
Well, now the beach — Euclid Beach Park to be exact — is about to become bookish thanks to the Lakefront Literacy Project. Co-founded by Ali Lukacsy, Emily Martis and Robert Gatewood, the Project aims to create a free custom-crafted little library on Lake Erie. Staffed by neighborhood volunteers, the library will appear on Saturdays and during special programmed events such as Euclid Beach Live concerts and will offer a rotating collection of books, magazines and newspapers for kids and adults alike.
It’s all part of a mission to make reading more accessible and bring literacy to unlikely spots. To get it out of the library and near the sound of seagulls.
Co-founder and North Collinwood resident Ali Lukacsy says she was inspired by a beach library in Turkey she discovered online and “knew Euclid Beach Park, a public lakefront park with beach access on the east side of Cleveland, was the perfect location to expand upon this inspiration.
“It’s a new Cleveland Metroparks property serving thousands of families in Cleveland and east-side suburbs but lacks consistent educational programming.”
The Project ran a successfully funded Indiegogo campaign and will kick off its 2015 inaugural season with a party on Sat 5/30. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11:40am and will be followed by a local science fiction author talk, a bookmaking craft for children, and free pizza and cake.
“Education and connectivity are at the heart of this proposal as we endeavor to bring literacy and a love of learning to all on North Collinwood’s Lakefront… at no cost to participants,” says Lukacsy. “We are addressing the lack of reading (especially for enjoyment) outside of the traditional library and seek to instill the sense that learning IS fun by providing opportunities for reading where people naturally gather: at the beach.
“This project will enhance communication and connectivity in our community and spur a dialogue about other opportunities for programs and projects in our neighborhood. This isn’t about institutions providing a service, rather, a group of people rallying around common held beliefs that literacy is important and reading should be fun.
“We see people coming together to share their favorite stories, especially through the exchange of writable bookmarks where participants can leave their notes about the book. Through this project, new relationships to each other will be established as we discuss the possibilities of bringing education into our ‘play spaces,’ such as the beach.
“In addition to our promotional materials, word of mouth will bring new people into the project which will lead to more and diverse book offerings, including a Russian language section to serve an often underrepresented part of the neighborhood.
“Through this project and its high visibility in the park, we hope to strengthen our associations with existing organizations as well as our neighbors and demonstrate that any dream is worth having and any belief is worth pursuing.
“Beyond literacy, we want to educate our community about how together we all can affect positive outcomes in our neighborhood.”
Everyone is encouraged to stop by and pick up a book. Take it home, read it and keep it for as long as you’d like — just be sure to bring it back and, hopefully, donate a few books of your own for the collection.
Says Lukacsy, “We ask that each person takes just one book, magazine or newspaper at a time and returns it to the collection when they are finished reading — which could be later that same day or three weeks later.
“Our books each feature a custom-designed bookplate and while we know some material will walk away forever, we hope the bookplate will help keep our collection strong. Currently, our collection is large and varied and represents the neighborhood well. We carry a significant collection of Anisfield-Wolf Book Award nominations donated by the Cleveland Foundation. For consideration, the books must make important contributions to our understanding of racism and cultural diversity. The annually awarded prize in its 80th year.
“We have a collection of Russian language books including fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Whether you are looking for healthy cookbooks, Harry Potter or just want to enjoy the breeze while flipping through national and local magazines and newspapers, you can at our library!”
Want to help instill a love of learning? Drop books off directly to the library on Saturday afternoons. Northeast Shores will also take donations of books 9-5pm Monday through Friday. Have some extra time? The Project is in need of a few volunteers to staff the library from 11:30am to 2pm on Saturdays this summer. Volunteers can indicate their interest and availability via this form.
“While this library was designed to serve the North Collinwood community, we want to extend an open invitation to anyone and everyone in Cleveland to be among the first to borrow a book and join us for the ‘Celebrate! Ribbon Cutting and Kickoff’ event on Saturday, May 30th from 11:30am – 2pm.”
https://facebook.com/lakefrontliteracy
Cool Cleveland correspondent Sarah Valek studied art and writing at Ithaca College. After graduation, she came back to Cle and served two years as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She can be found on all sides of the city in pursuit of homeschooling activities for her son and the perfect soy latte. Contact her at CoolEditor@CoolCleveland.com or via Twitter.
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