News release:

(COLUMBUS, Neb.) – Columbus Community Hospital is excited to announce the addition of a Little Free Library to its campus. The Little Free Library, which is located near the CCH Child Care Center at 3970 Health Parkway, is accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The purpose of the library is to encourage reading in community members of all ages. CCH will initially fill the library with books to inform children about health and wellness. Spanish and English books will be included.

“Our Little Free Library doesn’t just belong to us, it belongs to the whole city,” said Kristin Dahl, marketing coordinator at CCH. “It’s our hope that this Little Free Library will bring a little more joy, a little more connection and a whole lot more books to our community.”

Little Free Libraries are a global phenomenon. There are more than 36,000 of these small book exchanges around the world in 70 countries — from Iceland to Tasmania to Pakistan. The process is simple. Books are placed inside the small structure. Those who visit the library are encouraged to take a book, read it and return it. There is also an option to keep the book and replace it with a different book.

The CCH library will join three other registered Little Free Libraries in the area.

“We are glad to expand the network of Little Free Libraries in the community,” Dahl said. “We would love to see people visit each library and trade books from one library to another.”

If you are interested in donating to the Little Free Library, simply bring your books to the library. Any questions should be directed to Kristin Dahl, marketing coordinator at CCH at 402-562-3359 or kadahl@columbushosp.org.

The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation and the American Library Association. Reader’s Digest ?named them one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.” Each year, nearly 10 million books are shared in Little Free Libraries. To learn more about the CCH Little Free Library, please visit www.columbushosp.org.