Wednesday, July 29, 2026
www.thepapersonline.com
Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
Know Your Neighbor . . . . . 2➤ Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Vol. 56, No. 5
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
Little libraries BRING BOOKS CLOSER TO HOME
By ABBY OLIVER Staff Writer Scattered throughout Kosciusko County communities, miniature houses perched atop posts can be found in front yards, along side streets and in local parks . These houses are not for people or birds; they are filled with books . Through Little Free Libraries, local stewards are expanding access to books and sharing the joy of reading with children and adults throughout the county . One of these Little Free Library stewards is Shari Benyousky, an English professor at Purdue University . Benyousky’s Little Free Library at her house on Sheridan Street, Warsaw, has been active since COVID, when she wanted to “connect without connecting” with others without direct interaction . “I love giving books to people,” Benyousky said . “I wanted people to read .” Being a Little Free Library steward involves more than simply placing a box of books outside . Stewards regularly check their libraries, replace damaged books and stock books their communities will enjoy . While looking at her Little Free Library, Benyousky pointed out the painting on the front . The box was built by Tony Garza, deputy chief public defender with the Kosciusko County Public Defender’s Office,
who builds Little Free Libraries throughout the community using repurposed materials . Signposts near the bottom of the post represent special locations to her, both real and fictional, including the Shire from J .R .R . Tolkien’s “The Hobbit .” Benyousky tries to keep her Little Free Library stocked, noting that three books had disappeared from the box the previous day . Her goal is not just to provide books, but to match the collection to her audience . “If I see little kids coming, I’ll make sure there’s kids’ books or teen books,” Benyousky said . She also enjoys stocking classic literature and sharing historical fiction . From mysteries to beach reads, Benyousky pays attention to what readers take from the box and adjusts the collection based on what her neighbors enjoy . “LFLs provide opportunities for both those who need books and for those who will only part with books if they know someone else is going to make use of them and appreciate them,” Garza said . While filling another neighborhood library, Benyousky met a formerly incarcerated man who relied on his Little Free Library because he couldn’t travel to the public library . Trading books helped him continue reading and stay occupied . “It’s kind of an interesting way to communicate with your neighbors,”
LITTLE LIBRARY BUILDER — Tony Garza works on a Little Free Library box. Garza has built several Little Free Libraries using repurposed materials, as well as kits from the Little Free Library website. Photo provided by Tony Garza.
Benyousky said . Nicole Moore, owner of The Sweet Exchange bakery, exchanges books through her “Little Red Library” on Fort Wayne Street, Warsaw . “Ours is heavily used,” Moore said . “People donate a lot to it as much as they borrow from it .” The Little Red Library has been around for several years, but Moore knew she wanted one more than a decade before it was built . After seeing Little Free Libraries throughout the community, she decided she wanted one too . Received as a gift from a friend’s family, the Little Red Library was built to match her house . That friend, owner of Pages Aplenty bookstore, continues to donate books to help keep it stocked . Families from around the neighborhood visit Moore’s Little Red Library regularly, prompting her to keep extra books in reserve . The top shelf is dedicated to children’s books, while the bottom shelf is for adults . “Our neighborhood is full of kids, so especially in the summertime, it’s a lot of families walking by, and moms with strollers,” Moore said . Moore tries to stock new and current titles, including early-reader books for children from the nearby elementary school and books in both English and Spanish . “I think because they’re curated by such a wide variety of individuals in our community, every library is going to have its own personality,” Moore said . “I try to make mine really diverse and accessible .” Although their libraries look different, Moore and Benyousky share the same goal of making books accessible to anyone who wants one . Garza said the Little Free Libraries he builds use repurposed materials and can supplement public libraries by giving readers another way to access books . “I see Little Free Libraries as supplementing the public libraries,” Garza said . “I never see them replacing public libraries as public libraries offer so many more services than just access to books .” He also encourages Little Free Library stewards to register their libraries through the Little Free Library website so they can be included on the organization’s map app and be easier for readers to find . DeeAnna Muraski, executive director of Operation Read, said Little Free Libraries are a “great program,” but she encourages parents and stewards to be mindful of how the libraries are maintained .
NEED A BOOK, TAKE A BOOK — Shari Benyousky’s Little Free Library offers a variety of titles for neighbors and visitors to browse. Benyousky encourages others to take a book to enjoy, even if they cannot leave one in return. Photo by Abby Oliver.
LITTLE RED LIBRARY — Nicole Moore stands next to her Little Red Library. Moore’s is one of more than 30 Little Free Libraries located throughout Kosciusko County. Photo by Abby Oliver. “They bring a lot of joy to the community, but we need to make sure we are monitoring them,” Muraski said . “The local kids here, maybe their parents are working all the time
when the (public) library’s open,” Benyousky said . “They can just walk down and get a book .” To access the map of registered Little Free Libraries, go to littlefreelibrary .org/map .