Share a book at Whetstone Community Center

Village residents now have another place to find and share books – the new Little Free Library installed outside Whetstone Community Center. Thanks to Michael Bayless of Scout Troop 1988 B, a new Little Free Library was installed and is ready for the community to enjoy.

The library is already fully stocked with books and operates on a simple “take a book, shared a book” honor system. Free for Village residents, the Little Free Library encourages readers of all ages to swap books and foster a love of reading within the community.

Michael was inspired to build the library after discussing project ideas with Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) and learning that only one community center in Montgomery Village has a Little Free Library – Lake Marion Community Center. He saw an opportunity and wanted to ensure more residents could easily find books close to home.

Completing the project required significant planning, coordination, and leadership. Throughout the process, Michael learned valuable lessons about teamwork, communication, and organization.

“I had to learn how everything fit together beforehand,” he said. The project required extensive planning and coordination to keep things moving forward. “The most difficult part of the project was figuring out what jobs to assign the scouts and how to organize the work evenly, so everyone had something to do.”

Seeing the finished library made all the effort worthwhile. Michael says he is most proud that the project will have a lasting impact on the community. “It will help the whole community over the years and provide a source of free reading material,” he shared.

Michael would like to thank MVF staff including Jason Nicklow, Facilities and Aquatics Manager; Duncan Mullis, Director of Recreation and Parks and Maggie Laing, Recreation Specialist for their support. He also wants to recognize the members of Scout Troop 1988 B who helped with the project.

Swing by Whetstone Community Center and stop by the new Little Free Library. You may just find an exciting read and perhaps leave a story behind for someone else to enjoy!