Union High School freshmen Jakob Graffunder, left, and Paul Reed were among seven students in FFA who helped build structures for Little Free Libraries.

Seven Union County teenagers put down their cellphones and picked up drills, tape measures and plywood Saturday morning to promote literacy.

The youths, members of FFA chapters at La Grande, Imbler and Union high schools, helped build structures at La Grande High School for about eight Little Free Libraries that will be installed in La Grande, Imbler and Union. They will be part of a growing number of such libraries in Union County. Each is a community bookcase, a site where anyone can pick up a book and bring another back to share. 

Scott Carpenter, the La Grande School District’s director of educational programs, said Little Free Libraries help boost literacy levels, especially in the homes of young families.

“They provide more access to literature for homes that may not have access to it,” said Carpenter, who helped oversee the Little Free Library construction work.

Participating in the project Saturday were three LHS students, juniors Colt Foltz, McKaylee Orton and Isaac Insko; two Union students, Jakob Graffunder and Paul Reed; and two Imbler students, seventh-graders Isabella Warg and Tayler Bowles. 

Foltz said he welcomed the chance to do the woodwork.

“I enjoy woodworking,” he said. “I like keeping busy.”

He also said that the process of working with wood is a bit more forgiving than working with other materials because if there is an imperfection like a nick it can often be corrected simply by sanding it down. 

Orton voiced a similar sentiment.

“It is really fun,” she said, noting that she enjoys working with her hands on projects.

The Little Free Libraries project is being sponsored by Red Roof Construction of Elgin, the Edward Jones investment and financial advising company and the Literacy Alliance, a local organization that promotes reading.

Red Roof Construction provided all of the materials for the libraries. Edward Jones furnished food for the volunteers who worked Saturday and will provide plaques that will be attached to the bookcases recognizing those who built them. Briana Tanaka and Shawn Magnum have been participating in the project helping on behalf of Edward Jones. Tanaka was among those who did woodwork at LHS. 

After being painted and having recognition plaques attached, the new Little Free Libraries will be filled with books from the Literacy Alliance. Next they will be installed in La Grande, Imbler and Union. In La Grande, the libraries will be installed at Central Elementary School and at parks. The sites in Union and Imbler have not yet been determined.

Carpenter said that people are good about returning books to Little Free Libraries or replacing the books they took with others.

“I have not seen an empty one yet,” Carpenter said. “The book fairies keep filling them up.”

In an age when many are doing their reading via the internet, Carpenter is glad efforts are being made to get books into the hands of more children. He believes that reading an actual book has advantages over reading online. One is that there are fewer distractions and another is that a book can provide more opportunities for reading together. He said parents are more likely to read actual books with children than digital versions but are unlikely to do so via computers.

“(Reading a book) can be a shared experience,” Carpenter said.

Another plus of books, Carpenter said, is that illustrations and other artwork are easier to see than they are on an electronic devices. 

J.D. Cant, Imbler High School’s agricultural science teacher and FFA adviser, also assisted at Saturday’s workshop, helping Imbler FFA students build Free Little Libraries.

“I love this idea,” Cant said. “It is a sharing of knowledge and it uses the honor system. I think it is great.”