In late January of this year, the Center for University-Based Development (CUBD) held the ribbon cutting ceremony for the first “Little Free Library” in West Jackson. The Little Free Library is an outdoor structure that holds books. The books are free for the community and the concept is “take a book, return a book.”

The mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.

Since its opening, there have been 188 books that have went into the community and over 1,000 books donated to the library. The Little Free Library is working  and CUBD wants to bring more libraries to the West Jackson communities. In this posting you will find an application to get a Little Free Library in your West Jackson neighborhood. If you are interested in having one in your neighborhood, you must work with the neighborhood association. Below is a list of all the neighborhood associations in the area and their presidents.

Applications are due back to CUBD’s office by April 30th and can be emailed to Heather Wilcox at heather.a.wilcox@jsums.edu. After the applications are reviewed, there will be a selection process in which CUBD will choose 3 neighborhoods to get a Little Free Library. Once those libraries are built and installed, CUBD will continue to work with the rest of the neighborhoods to get them a library.

CUBD is working with Patty Patterson, owner of Repurposed Projects, to create custom libraries. Each neighborhood will be involved in the design and the creation of their library.

Application can be found at the link below. For more information please call Heather Wilcox 601-979-5828.

Little Free Library Applications

Neighborhood Associations in West Jackson

Battlefield Park……………………………………………..Willa Womack
Capitol Neighbors Association………………………..Cassandra Welchlin
Dalton-Deer Park Association………………………..Hezekiah Watkins
Pecan Park Neighborhood Association……………Representative Alyce Clarke
University Park…………………………………………….Betty Lyons
Washington Addition……………………………………Felicia McClinton
Zoo Area Progressive Partnership………………….Marcia Reed
Friends of West Jackson……………………………….Ethel Floyd
Matthew’s East Homeowners………………………..Thomas Alexander
New West Jackson Cooperative Community…..Nia Umoji
West Park……………………………………………………Maggie White
Hemingway Neighborhood Association………….Zenotha Robinson
Jayne Ave. Neighborhood Association……………Oredell Calhoun
Poindexter Park…………………………………………..Grace Harper
West Central JXN Improvement Association….Senator Sollie Norwood