The Free Little Library at Project Chimps
By Emmett Johnson
The Girl Scouts
Girl Scout Troop 15543 built the free little library in front of Project Chimps as part of their Silver Award while they were Cadets. Other Girl Scout troops have done projects located at Project Chimps, too! Scouts also built the trailhead and ropes course. Troop 15543 chose Project Chimps because they wanted to do complete their award by involving the chimps somehow.
The Idea for the Little Library
In August of 2021, the Girl Scouts got a private tour of Project Chimps, where they saw and learned about the chimpanzees. The scouts learned about “how [the chimps] take care of each other” within their troops. The Girl Scouts realized that how the chimpanzees support each other is also how the scouts do the same to each other.
The Girl Scouts got the idea for the free little library because they have a book club and enjoy reading. The scouts love how tranquil the land is at Project Chimps sanctuary. They put the little library next to the gazebo and koi pond because it is an area to unplug from technology and focus on a good book. They also love the location because sometimes the chimpanzees can be heard while reading and enjoying nature.
All the original books inside the little library were donated. The Girl Scouts did a book drive from Barnes and Noble and the local community. There are spare books in the gift shop for when the free little library books run low.
Most books are children’s books, and the target audience is children. Children’s books will help children become more engaged in learning. The scouts want children to be aware of where the chimps come from and what their life is like now at Project Chimps.
The Little Library Mission
The Girl Scout Troop leader, Heather, comments that the project is “not just about chimpanzees.” The free little library that the Girl Scouts installed is also about creating a community. Little libraries are about sharing a love for reading and being involved in the areas around a community. Heather further says that “building the library felt like doing something.”
The Little Free Library’s motto is Take a book. Share a book. The library aims to create an accessible way to read books and connect with the community. Morganton County has few little libraries, and some may not know that Project Chimps exists. The little library is where someone can visit, learn, and “be a part of what the sanctuary is all about.”
Project Chimps’ little library is on the Little Free Library website because it is officially registered. Using the map feature on the website, anyone can easily find the free little libraries within their community.
The next project after the Silver Award that the Girl Scouts are working on is their Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve, equivalent to a Boy Scout’s Eagle Award. The Gold Award requires at least eighty hours and is an individual award. The scouts are still planning their next award, and they will see if any of them will do a Gold Award at Project Chimps.
Visit Project Chimps and enjoy the free little library!
