CONTRIBUTED BY
CITY OF SMITHS STATION
The East Alabama Chamber of Commerce’s 2021-2022 Leadership Program is leading an initiative to provide more access to learning and the love of reading through the installation of “Little Free Libraries” in local cities and communities.
The annual program consists of 22 leaders whose businesses, companies and organizations are chamber members. As a part of the curriculum, program participants are asked to come together to conceptualize, develop and implement a region-wide service project that will have a lasting positive impact.
This year’s class selected Little Free Libraries to be constructed and placed at the following locations: Main Street in downtown Hurtsboro; Smiths Station Sports Complex; Phenix City Youth Sports Complex; Ice Dreams Ice Cream and Coffee Shop in Fort Mitchell; and Ladonia Elementary School.
“It is always a highlight for me to see these great community representatives come together with vision, alignment and execution to leave an imprint on the region,” said Chamber President Dennis Beson.
Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims, vice chancellor of Troy University’s Phenix City Campus and member of this current leadership class, said the group’s purpose in selecting this project is two-fold.
“… I am very proud of our class and how we have come together to promote and strengthen literacy in our community,” Rosser-Mims said.
On of March 5, from, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST in the front parking lot of the Troy University-Phenix City campus, program participants will be assembling the libraries and preparing them for installation. Information on the planned dedication dates for each library will be announced in the coming weeks.
A final component of this project is a contest to determine the region’s favorite library constructed as a part of this project. Once finished, photos of the libraries will be posted on the сhamber’s Facebook page and the community can select their favorites by contributing a like. Dates for this contest will also be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information, call the сhamber at 334-298-3639.