Little Free Library opens at Washington School in Mundelein

The Little Free Library population grew by one Wednesday in Lake County.

Students, parents and officials unveiled a new library box near the flagpole at Washington School in Mundelein. The concept of the Little Free Library is to take a book and leave a book.

The Washington School location is the first of four little free library boxes to open in Mundelein. The effort is shared by Mundelein Elementary District 75, Fremont Public Library and the Mundelein/Vernon Hills Rotary Club. The Mundelein Home Depot donated the materials for the four boxes.

Fremont Library Early Childhood Librarian Carol Davis said the library is available to support the program and the children in any way it can.

“What makes them readers is empowerment and ownership in their destiny. And that begins with things like this where a child can come and pick out their own book,” Davis said.

Other Mundelein library locations will be the McKinley Avenue apartment complex, Sunrise Market and AREA General Store. All should be up and running by the end of summer.

Mike Flynn, a Mundelein/Vernon Hills Rotary Club board member, said education is the club's biggest involvement at the local level.

“The Little Free Library is right up our alley, so that's why we partnered with District 75, and we're really happy for this to be our first Rotary project,” Flynn said.