NILES — Despite the morning chill and falling snow on Tuesday morning, dozens of students from Eastside Connections gathered outside of Oak Manor to host a ribbon cutting ceremony for two Little Free Libraries.

The project, which will supply free books to anyone who wants reading material, was devised by members of the Eastside Connections Model U.N. The 19 students involved in the club helped to collect books for the libraries. Students also reached out to the Niles District Library to garner additional book donations and to Leader Publications to supply unusable newspaper boxes to recycled into book boxes. Students and a parent volunteer cleaned and spruced up the boxes.

Eastside Connections principal Joe Racht said now community members and students alike will be able to open up the library and take a new book for free. He commended students from the Model U.N. Club for taking the initiative to help their community.

“They wanted to create something to help people become good readers and to learn to love reading,” Racht said. “These are here for you and for any student that lives around here, all school year and all summer long.”

Racht said the libraries will assure that those with a love for reading who cannot buy their own books can still have access to ample reading material. Racht encouraged students to utilize the libraries and also donate to them when they can.

“Maybe they cannot go to the library or Barnes and Nobles or Amazon,” Racht said. “This is an easy way to get a book and give a book. If you’re done reading a book, you can give it back so someone else can enjoy it.”

Model U.N. students behind the project also spoke Tuesday about the importance of the Little Free Libraries to their community.

Model U.N. Club member Stuart Lundberg said members first came up with the idea when club members competed in debates about global crisis.

“We wanted to help in our community,” Lundberg said. “These are free so anyone at our school or anyone in the neighborhood can come.”

Lundberg added that Little Free Libraries are used around the world to inspire children to read.

Nombuso Shawa, a fellow Model U.N. club member, said reading can be a powerful tool for global change. 

“Access to education is beneficial to children,” she said. “No matter how old or young you are you should have access to education.”

After snipping through a red ribbon, first graders ceremoniously placed the books inside of the Little Free Libraries. Students were able to collect more than 100 books for the project.

One Little Free Library will remain outside of Oak Manor, where Eastside Connections students are temporarily being housed during bond construction. The other Little Free Library will be placed inside near the school’s lobby.

When students return to Eastside Connections after construction is complete, they plan to leave one free library at Oak Manor.

Tara Hunsberger, the youth services team leader for the Niles District Library, also attended the ribbon cutting. She said Lundberg reached out to her to inquire about possible book donations. Hunsberger said she was happy to help find books to donate.

“I am super excited that these kids took the initiative to help to provide books to kids 24/7,” Hunsberger said.

The Model U.N. Club will help to maintain the Little Free Libraries and make sure they are well stocked. They also said that they hope to create more Little Free Libraries around the Niles community.