Little libraries will start going up around Fresno's District 4 as part of the "On the Same Page" campaign. photo by Ben Hensley

Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell held a press conference Tuesday at University Park in Fresno to unveil the “On the Same Page” campaign, aiming to bring equal access to childhood literature to residents in District 4.

Over the next month, the district, represented by Maxwell, will be assisted by Iron Workers Local 155 to install “little libraries,” in every District 4 neighborhood, serving as community hubs for children to exchange, donate and borrow books.

“The best investment we can make as a city is an investment back into our children,” he said. “The return on investment is something you cannot place a dollar amount on. It is invaluable.”

The district partnered with local nonprofit Reading Heart as well as Fresno State students and Fresno State design instructor Glenn Terpstra to launch the program.

Maxwell emphasized the importance of introducing education and literature to children at a young age.

“The goal of this campaign is to ensure that no child is ever more than a five-minute walk away from free books year round, regardless of what neighborhood they live in, and to ensure that our kids are on the same page academically,” Maxwell said.

As part of the program, volunteer neighborhood librarians, consisting of local residents, will stock and maintain the libraries, ensuring that even during school breaks, children will still have access to books.

Danay Ferguson, founder of Reading Heart, said, “With these little libraries we make sure that every child has a place to learn no matter where they are; whether they’re in school or out of school.”

The announcement of the campaign also marked the launch of a city-wide book drive, aiming to collect 1,000 books in 30 days to stock the mini libraries. Donations can be made at any of the eight locations throughout District 4 until May 18.

 

Donation bins are located at:

• Vision View Business Center – Suite #212:

• • • 4974 E. Clinton Ave, Fresno, Ca 93727

• Fresno City Hall – First Floor Lobby:

• • • 2600 Fresno St, Fresno, Ca 93721

• Fresno State – University Student Union:

• • • 5280 N. Jackson Ave, Fresno, Ca 93740

• Fresno State – Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union:

• • • 5244 N. Jackson Ave, Fresno, Ca 93740

• Fresno State – Phebe Conley Art Gallery:

• • • 5225 N. Backer Ave, Fresno, Ca 93740

• Fashion Fair – Indoor next to Baskin Robbins:

• • • 645 E. Shaw Ave, Fresno, Ca 93710

• Campus Pointe – Inside Maya Cinemas:

• • • 6090 E. Campus Pointe Dr, Fresno, Ca 93710

• Legends Comics and Games:

• • 5412 N. Blackstone Ave, Fresno, Ca 93710