After a challenging year with COVID-19 restrictions and busy schedules, the Hopedale Girl Scout Ambassador Troop #71010, who graduated this past June, decided it would be great idea to give back to their local library.  

The “final four” girls of troop #71010, Kelsey Grillo, Edda Phillips, Vivian Staheli of Hopedale and Jaiden Miller of Upton, decided to donate the remaining funds in their troop account with monies raised by selling Girl Scout Candy & Nuts and Cookie Sales to help fund the project and purchase new books.  

As Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts, they had held their troop meetings at the library and also hosted sewing workshops for their Silver Award Project. 

Mrs. Kraimer, the children’s librarian, was always supportive of the troop and the girls love her.

Troop Leaders Kristen Grillo and Monica Phillips brought up the idea after seeing Little Libraries in Maine and at a local park in Medway and mentioned the idea.

Vivian Staheli, who also worked part-time at the library her senior year, had mentioned that Mrs Kraimer had always wanted a Borrowing Library, especially for children and then everyone could leave with a book even if they didn’t have a library card.  “It’s such a great idea where anyone can borrow, take or leave a book and we always want to promote more reading,” said Staheli.

The group met with the Library Trustees over the summer to get permission and then researched how to purchase and register its own Little library to be installed on the library’s front lawn.

You can purchase library building kits and register with a special charter number on metal plate with the Little Free Library nonprofit organization, https://littlefreelibrary.org/start/.

Vivian had mentioned that her father John Staheli is a craftsman and loves woodworking projects, so he offered to custom build the Little library with similar features of the Bancroft Library including the windows and copper roof trim.

The Troop paid for all the construction materials, supplies and paint and some members of the troop painted the library over the summer.

The troop then presented the library to Mrs. Kraimer with a ribbon cutting ceremony in August, but due to Bancroft roof construction delays and weather, the installation was delayed until last month.  

Adult parent volunteers John Staheli and Peter Grillo installed the post and then the library this past month. 

The troop hopes everyone can enjoy this new addition to the local library and will share their favorite books.