Boy Scout builds Little Free Libraries on Hurlburt Field

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dennis Spain
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – --  The pounding summer sun, the grueling labor of working with one’s hands and the stinging irritation of sweat in the eyes is no match for the deep-rooted motivation of a Boy Scout.

A Boy Scout with Boy Scout Troop 509 on Hurlburt spent his weekend building three “Little Free Libraries” and installed them at the Riptide Dining Facility, the Osprey Landing neighborhood and the Pine Shadows neighborhood.

A Little Free Library is a “take a book, leave a book” free book exchange. Anyone is encouraged to take, exchange or leave a book for others to read and expand their literacy.

"I built the little libraries to help the community on base," said Aiden Holt, the son of Brig. Gen. William Holt, the director of operations for Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command. “I wanted to help single Airmen on base who don't have much to do, and new families who may have recently moved on base. If they didn't have anything to do before, they do now."

Holt partnered with the Hurlburt Field Library for his Little Free Libraries project which houses a variety of literary works to choose from including children’s books, fiction, non-fiction and a couple of New York Times best-sellers.

"Our mission is to promote literacy, so the little libraries serve as an extension of our mission here," said Anne Maynard, a supervisory librarian at the Hurlburt Field Library. "The little libraries are just another way for Airmen and families to access books and information, which is why we are here in the first place."