Story by Ainsley Hall
MARTINSBURG — Eagle Intermediate School’s Library Media Specialist Sharon Cobaugh received a donation to build Little Free Libraries outside the school. Kids in the community can come to take books that interest them and leave old books there for someone else to enjoy.
This is Cobaugh’s first year as the librarian at Eagle Intermediate School. For around 15 years she worked as a teacher and is passionate about working with children. However, when the position opened up, Cobaugh decided it was time for a change.
“I wanted to be a school librarian for many years,” she said. “I loved being with the kids and I wanted to know all of them. I decided it was time to branch out and do something bigger.”
Cobaugh wanted to help children have more access to books. At the school library, when a student loses a book or doesn’t return it, they often lose their opportunity to use the library. Though kids can still access public libraries, they are always easily accessible to them. Cobaugh decided to make two Little Free Libraries, one by the school’s bus loop and one by the library’s back entrance, to give students more opportunities to read.
“I want to show them that reading can be fun,” Cobaugh said. “Coming from a fifth-grade classroom, sometime the curriculum was a bit higher reading level for the students. Giving students the chance to choose their own books makes them more confident. They can find something they like and learn to love reading.”
After connecting with some of her friends from the Edinburg VFW post 2447 in Virginia, Cobaugh received a donation to make her idea come to life. With help from the maintenance department at the school, they put together libraries and opened them to the public. Cobaugh then asked people in the community to come donate children’s books to give kids the chance to find a book they will enjoy. She is excited that they were completed at the beginning of the school year so students will have the whole years to use them.
“They aren’t just for the Eagle School community,” Cobaugh said. “They just happened to be near the school. They’re free to use by any children who want access to free books.”
Cobaugh hopes that more people will learn about the Little Free Libraries and make use of them. Being a book lover, Cobaugh wants to encourage kids to love reading. Seeing them use the libraries makes her excited to see their love for books grow.