GARDNER, La. (AP) — You can find the Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library snuggled in a cozy little wooded nook about 11 miles west of Alexandria on David Burns Road near Gardner.
A gravel path on the edge of the road leads to the little box full of books that sits in Tom and Terri Harmeyer’s yard. Behind it is a bench under a shaded tree where people can sit while they read. Or, they can take their books with them.
The closest libraries are the Westside Library in Alexandria and the Hineston Library, both part of the Rapides Parish Library, said Tom. Each are 11 miles away from where the Harmeyers live. And there are no bookstores around this area. Anyone in that area who wanted or needed a book would have to drive somewhere else to get one.
The Little Free Library was created as a family project to honor the legacies of Carol and Jim Cortazzo, Terri’s parents. Jim died thirty years ago and Carol died in June. Little Free Library is a non-profit seeking to inspire readers and create access to books through a network of little libraries.
“So we started it after her passing,” said Jackson Harmeyer, Carol’s grandson. “We thought it was the perfect thing to remember their legacies.”
Jean Dresley, a longtime family friend and neighbor, built the box housing the library. She, her husband Joe and daughter Nora were on hand for a small, informal dedication.
The “Little Library in the Grove,” as Tom calls it, not only honors the Cortazzos’ legacies but the lifelong work of his and Terri’s adult children, Jackson and Emilie. Jackson is in his second year of a master’s program in library science at Indiana University and Emilie is a naturalist and environmentalist who works for the non-profit Shreveport Green.
“This library is in such a beautiful and natural setting here just outside of Alexandria.” said Emilie at small, informal dedication.
It also represents access to education which she said is one of the things many take for granted.
“Books open our world, expand our minds, give us an opportunity to imagine things that we wouldn’t otherwise get to see — both real things and things authors that have imagined for us,” she said. “A lot of us — we love books. We cherish books. But we sometimes take the access to books for granted.”
The nearest access to books is about a 12-15 minute drive to Alexandria, said Emilie, so this Little Free Library gives the neighborhood and surrounding community the advantage of having a nearby resource for books.
“A library is really a public good,” said Jackson. “It’s something that serves the whole community.”
When public libraries were first established in the U.S., they consisted primarily of personal collections, explained Jackson.
“Very much like the Little Free Libraries are these days,” said Jackson, nodding to the little box full of books. “They are a collection that someone has accumulated, has curated themselves and want to share with their friends and neighbors. And I think we are doing that with this library.”
Books and libraries were always a big a part of the Cortazzos’ lives which they spent building collections to share with family and friends.
“We actually called my grandmother Booka,” said Jackson. “She’s always read books to her grandchildren.”
She had a large collection of books that were recently brought up from New Orleans and those have been integrated with those given to them by neighbors and friends. Many have donated books in her honor as well. Donations have come in from Colorado, South Carolina and Boston in addition to the local community.
Some of Carol’s books that can be found in the Little Library are classics, best sellers, children’s books, religious books and books about New Orleans — a lot of different things, said Jackson.
“As children, she raised us to be readers,” said Terri. “And during the summertime, we would all get on our bikes and go the library daily and pack as many books as we could in the baskets of our bikes.”
Terri recalled her father had a habit of reading several books at time.
“There would be books scattered throughout the house,” she said. “One in the den. One in the kitchen. One in the living room. And wherever he was he would just pick up and continue to read that book.”
She used to find it strange that he could do that but now, she finds herself doing the same thing.
“I remember many times going over to Booka’s house and finding a book left on the steps for my mom to pick up and my mom would leave one for one of the aunts to pick up,” said Jackson.
Carol worked in the religious studies department at Loyola University in New Orleans where she would pick up books from professors. She took classes as well.
Prior to the Little Library’s dedication, it had been open for a couple of weeks. Many have brought books by but very few have been taking one with them.
“We still want to get the word out that you bring a book and also take a book with you,” said Tom.
Among those who have been using the Little Library include the U.S. Postal worker who delivers their mail and a young neighbor, Paris Mitchell, 11, and six-grader at Alexandria Country Day School.
“I’m actually very blessed to have this in our neighborhood because the library is very far away,” said Paris. “So I’m glad that I can take just a little drive and just get books I want to read that I can take an AR (Accelerated Reading) test on.”
Her mother found out about the Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library on Facebook and passed the information on to Paris.
“And when she sent it to me, I got very interested,” she said. “I got a lot of my old books that I had when I was little and I donated them to this library.”
Paris is a fan of adventure books and funny chapter books. “One Crazy Summer” is a book she likes a lot.
“And I actually got a book from here, called ‘Sand Dollar Summer’ and I actually really love that one so far,” she said.
Paris likes the calm feeling she gets when she reads. And she likes to read outside, especially in the woods because it’s natural and calming.
Paris had left a note earlier for the Harmeyers thanking them for putting the Little Free Library in their neighborhood and extending her condolences for which Terri was very appreciative.
“We were raised to be readers and it has served me well,” said Terri. “And I think I have passed that love on to both of my children.”
The Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library is the seventh Little Free Library in the area. There are two each in Alexandria, Pineville and Grant Parish.
The Harmeyers also handed out copies of a children’s book they had written, “Coyotes on My Floaties.”
Paris was the first one to get a copy.
“We moved here and the first thing we did was build a swimming pool in the backyard,” said Tom. “And all of a sudden, the forest animals started showing up in our swimming pool. So that’s what inspired that story. Emilie did the artwork.”