University of Kentucky expands arboretum with health-related resources, Little Free Library
University of Kentucky student Katie Neglia turned a paper into a real world project, setting up a Little Free Library at the school’s arboretum as a means to creatively improve health literacy.
The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, has been known for its beautiful landscape, engaging programing, and educational opportunities related to Kentucky’s environment. Now visitors to the arboretum will be able to leave a book or take a book from its new Little Free Library.
Through a collaborative effort between various organizations and college at the University of Kentucky, such as the College of Health Sciences, and the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Little Free Library has been established and made publicly available, filled with donated books that are free for visitors to take home with them.
The project to add a Little Free Library began when Katie Neglia, who studies human health sciences, and hopes to one day attend medical school, wrote a paper about ways to improve health literacy through creative means–such as through Little Free Libraries stocked with free health resources–for one of her classes.
After turning the paper in for her social determinants of health class, she was encouraged by her professor, Brendan O’Farrell, Ph.D., to try to turn her paper into praxis, and make the library exist in the real world.
In an article posted on the University of Kentucky’s website, Dr. O’Farrell, who serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Clinical Sciences, was quoted about the project and his part in it, saying, “My course encourages students to think beyond doctors, hospitals and pills when considering health and health outcomes. From education and socioeconomic status to transportation and community context, this leaves us with a lot to ponder. It is always inspiring to work with students like Katie, who bring their own passion to the course content and extend it beyond the classroom.”
Neglia then brought her idea to Haven Patrick, who is a programming and marketing specialist at the Office of Undergraduate Research. The two brainstormed and noted that the Arboretum, where Neglia had previously volunteered with some children’s programming, seemed like “the perfect spot” for a Little Free Library.
From there, Neglia wrote up a proposal and brought it to Hana Wells, who serves as the educator coordinator and director of the Kentucky Children’s Garden, as well as Michael Wall, who started this past June in his new role as the director of The Arboretum.
The team collaborated on where to place the Little Free Library before determining that the best place for it would be across from the entrance to the Kentucky Children’s Garden, near a set of logs that are a popular spot for people to visit at The Arboretum.
Wall noted that that spot is “where the kids are,” which would make the library easily accessible for families.
Wall then went on to note that the location is an easy area for the Arboretum's team to landscape. The team determined that to make the library successful, it would have to be easy to maintain over time. Another aspect of that consideration has been The Shared Shelf, a campus organization started by Neglia, which will ensure that the library sustains after she graduates from the University.
Wall went on to talk more about the arboretum and the library, saying, "Our core mission is to educate, inspire and enrich the lives of our community. Integrating health literacy and accessible reading right outside the Kentucky Children’s Garden extends our educational impact beyond plants and ecology, supporting the overall well-being of the families and kids who visit us every day."
After nailing down the location of the library as well as other details, the team set up a fundraiser on the internet to garner support from the community.
Patrick talked about the effort, saying, “We sent it out to a lot of people, and we just told them our mission, and a lot of people were very responsive.”
Members of the community contributed more than just money, as well. Patrick’s father assisted her with both the construction and installation of the library, and two other students, Rylie Workman and Maria Wanderley, joined The Shared Shelf as members.
Neglia talked about the impact of seeing other students joining in: “That really reflects well on our generation because we really do care, and there are a lot of us who are very passionate about making our world a better place,”
The team decorated their Little Free Library with the intention of making it look inviting as well as as part of the mood of the arboretum, adding a “nature-like” handle for the door, to painted books, and local insects and plants on the outside of the structure. Patrick used a book she checked out at the public library to make sure that her painting would be accurate to the lifeforms in the arboretum.
About this effort, Neglia said, “We wanted to make sure we were accurate because at The Arboretum, horticulture and environmental sustainability are a very important thing.”
Patrick added a few depictions of monarch butterflies as well, as a tribute to her grandmother, as well as to Dolly Parton, who started the Imagination Library, which gives free books to children. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Little Free Library took place just before Parton passed away.
Neglia spoke about how a Little Free Library operating in a popular location such as The Arboretum is a positive thing for the community, saying, “It’s an easy thing for people to come behind. Everyone loves The Arboretum. Not everyone loves to read, but maybe they will after this.”
Neglia also talked about the goals of The Shared Shelf. The organization wants to set up more Little Free Libraries in the Lexington area, especially locations that need the most access to health literacy resources and reading materials more generally.
“The sky’s the limit for where we could put them. One of our big goals is to start collaborating with other organizations at the university because there are a lot of cool people doing really cool things, and we want to involve as many members of the community as we can,” she said.
Patrick went on to note that The Arboretum was a good choice for the group’s first library, calling it “the most perfect launching pad.”
Anyone visiting the arboretum is welcome to donate or take home books from the Little Free Library.
More information about the University of Kentucky can be found at the school’s website.