Glassport girl builds Little Free Library for her town

By EMILY BENNETT
ebennett@yourmvi.com
Four-year-old Albany Behanna loves the library.
She loves taking trips with her family to participate in book club and story time, and she is especially passionate about seeing her friends and checking up on the classroom hamster, Dewey.
Her mom, Kristy Behanna, said Albany was befuddled about one library-related issue, though. Why didn’t they have a library she could go to in their own community?
“She kept asking why Glassport didn’t have a library, and I kept telling her that when I was little, we had one,” Kristy said.
But that library’s doors have been shut for more than 10 years, according to Kristy, and their nearest library location is a 15-minute drive into Pleasant Hills, a trip she said they make constantly.
Located about 20 minutes away is a playground equipped with standard swing sets and monkey bars where Albany regularly plays; but there’s one thing that makes the playground distinctive. It also doubles as a small-scale, free library.
“She said maybe we can build one like at the playground, and I said we would give it a shot,” Kristy said.
It’s called The Little Free Library: Take a Book, Leave a Book, and the organization’s mission is to provide children around the world with 24/7 access to free books and encourage a love of reading in neighborhoods where books are scarce.
It was this miniature wooden, bird-house-like structure that Albany would grab books from that moved her toward a plan of action – build a library of her own and strategically place it in her own community.
Albany said it was her idea and no one else’s — and that “she just thought of it because she saw one at the playground,” and she said she asked her dad, Joe Behanna, to build it for her.
Joe and Kristy were born and raised in Glassport, and said they both see the importance of raising a daughter in a neighborhood surrounded by books — to encourage literacy, education and a sense of community.
So they encouraged Albany to build her little library — and in a stroke of inspiration, posted about their daughter’s idea on the neighborhood community page. The pictures of Albany in their backyard, poised over wood measurements with her dad, caught the attention of Glassport Mayor Keith DiMarco.
“The mayor actually messaged us and he took it to the council and approved it, and they’re going to put it at the police station,” Kristy said.
Kristy said the library’s police station location was decided because there are cameras there and someone would always be available to watch the little blue and yellow box — painted in proper school spirit fashion with South Fayette’s school district colors. Kristy said the police station is about two minutes from their home – a bit closer than their usual 15-minute trek to Pleasant Hills.
Albany excitedly led the way to where the wooden library box was housed in their basement, lying on its side because its sheer size prevented it from standing upright on account of the low basement ceilings.
Handmade from 2x4s and plexiglass for small windows, the not-so-little library stood tall and proud and Albany oohed and ahhed as Joe lifted it so it stood vertically. It’s possible to purchase your own pre-constructed little libraries from the organization’s website, but prices ranges from $247-$399, and the Behannas decided they would build their own —and that it would be more fun that way.
Albany’s pre-kindergarten classroom has a library, and she said her favorite book is a Noah’s Ark picture book. Aside from reading and creating miniature libraries, she’s an avid pizza-eater, likes jumping on her backyard trampoline, and was a soccer player – but she’s giving dance classes a try in a couple weeks.
What instruction would Albany give any kids who might show up to her little library?
“Get a book!” she squealed.
Placement plans for the little library’s installation are in the works now, but Kristy said it should be up and running by the Monday after Labor Day. For more information on starting your own Little Free Library, visit littlefreelibrary.org.