RED BANK: A LITTLE LIBRARY, ON A POLE
Judi Pack’s ‘Little Free Library, decorated for Halloween. (Photo by Sarah Klepner. Click to enlarge)
By SARAH KLEPNER
Judi Pack wants kids to love books so much that she has installed a permanent, weather-proof bookshelf, known as a Little Free Library, in the front yard of her Red Bank home.
It is indeed a little, free library: passersby and neighbors of all ages can take a book or leave one for others. Even better, there is no obligation to return a book once taken.
It’s a logical step for a woman who has dedicated 40 years to early childhood education, including seven years in Middletown. Pack has taught pre-kindergarten and early primary school, and instructed the teachers of these age groups as well.
“We’ve made a fetish of learning to read, instead of encouraging kids to love books,” Pack said in a recent interview at her home, at 170 Hudson Avenue.