Colony Mayor Curtis Johnson was joined by library staff, volunteers and children from the Tom Bevill Library’s summer program to cut the ribbon on the county’s newest little free library in July 2021.

COLONY — Colony’s Tom Bevill Library celebrated the ribbon cutting of Cullman County’s newest little free library Tuesday morning. 

The new little library, which is located in front of the big library, offers free books at all hours to anyone who is looking for something new to read, said librarian Brenda Johnson. 

If the library’s not open, but someone is looking for a book for themselves or their children, the little library will now be there for them to take something home, she said. 

“We’re looking forward to people coming and picking up a book and reading,” she said. 

The Tom Bevill Library already has a supply of donated books that will be used to restock the little library when it is getting low, but people are encouraged — but not required — to leave a book in the little library when they take one out, Johnson said. 

“They can take a book, share a book,” she said. 

Johnson also made sure to thank the Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County for bringing the little library to the town and helping to encourage more people to read. 

“They helped bring this to Colony and we really do appreciate it,” she said. 

FPLCC board member Renee Welsh said the Tom Bevill Library’s little free library is the fourth in the county that the Friends of the Libraries have helped put up, joining the little libraries in Cullman, Hanceville and Holly Pond.

Along with the other three in the county, Colony’s little library will also be listed on littlefreelibrary.org, which has a map of Little Free Libraries across the nation for anyone traveling who may be in need of a new book or want to donate a book of their own, she said. 

Welsh said the Friends of the Libraries’ little free library in Cullman was the first one that the nonprofit installed, and the response from that one has inspired the group to continue placing them around the county. 

“We were astounded at how much the one in Cullman was used,” she said.

She said the little libraries have also been popular with county residents during the pandemic, and have been a source for more than just books. 

Welsh said that little library opened in October of last year, and when she went out to it a few days after its opening, she found that all of the books had already been taken and two of its shelves had been filled with canned foods. 

“It was so heartwarming to know that folks were thinking of other people,” she said. 

The four little libraries that the Friends of the Libraries have installed are not the only ones in the county, with a few more located in Cullman and in surrounding towns. Visit littlefreelibrary.org to find a map of all of the little libraries in the area.