CHINA GROVE — There’s another Little Free Library in the county, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Smart Start Rowan, Jimmy Greene Jr. and Patterson Farms.

The journey to get this library set up and ready to offer books to children in the community began at the 9th annual Smart Start Rowan’s Dr. Shirley P. Ritchie Champion for Young Children Celebration, which was held March 12 and on Sept. 25, a mini ribbon cutting was held at the farm to proclaim it is now ready to serve the community. 

It was during the March event that Greene was named as the 2024 champion and, in addition to an award, Smart Start announced they would donate, in his honor, a Little Free Library wherever he chose.

The library is “a gift from Smart Start Rowan for all he has done for our community and the families we serve,” Denise Heinke, director of outreach and development, said in an email.

In making the decision of where to place the library, Greene said with his being in the west area and a west area representative of the school board, he wanted to go in that direction.

“We have great places all across the county,” Greene said, “but Patterson Farms has a history of always just being involved in anything they can for the youth and when they said Michelle (Patterson), has suggested maybe here, it was just a perfect fit. 

Patterson, according to the website, is the farms’ treasurer and director of fun, responsible for marketing and overseeing educational tours and events.

Placement for the library was a conversation that Greene, Heinke and Amy Brown, executive director of Smart Start, all had when he won the award and they all agreed that the western part of the county would be a good fit, as he is a member of the West Rowan community, Brown said, and the Greene family has done a lot for the community. Therefore, “Patterson Farms rose to the surface because it’s such a staple out here in the community,” she said, “and because Michelle and her family have been so devoted to our agency as well.” 

Brown added that Patterson has been both a member of the board and committee member and they have had a good partnership with the Patterson Farms team over the years.

And for Patterson, she said that they were excited about having this opportunity to “partner with Smart Start, first of all, because we’re very passionate about education and all children being able to have access to a good start.”

She also noted that the organization has great values and the mission to help children get off to that good start, so therefore they love partnering with them.

Getting this library coincides with part of Smart Start’s vision, which is to prepare children for school and make sure they are healthy, said Greene. Plus, they are huge proponents of reading books and have been for many years.

“I mean, technology is wonderful,” he said, “but at the end of the day they need books in their hands, and so that’s why we did this.” 

Being able to pass along these books to the community and partner with this group is special to Patterson.

“So we’re very excited to be able to share this with people in our community and it’s very special that Jimmy Greene has allowed us to put it here,” she said.

When asked what it meant to be honored in this way, Greene was quick to say he was a nobody but that he was glad to be there and was glad there were people doing what they do as he credited Bruce Shuping for his help in getting the library installed at the farm.

“I know people who help me do whatever, between family and friends so it’s just an absolute blessing,” said Greene, “but it’s an undeserved blessing.”

Little Free Libraries are a nationwide program, and there are others all around the Rowan County community, said Brown.

These libraries are mapped, said Heinke, and their locations can be found by visiting littlefreelibrary.com so that people can find one close to them.

“Jimmy’s little library is now mapped at Patterson Farms,” she said. So people can come and get a book. 

The library is a community based program set up for families to be able to get books for their children, said Brown, and hopefully refresh the book taken with another if they can; however, if they are unable to refresh, other community members will do so.

“We are so passionate about reading and just getting a book in the hand of a child as soon as they can sit up and hold a book,” Heinke said. “It is very exciting for us that we are able to put this out there as just another part of our community,” noting that there are some in downtown Salisbury, but to offer this in this part of Rowan County is “super special.”

The books are free for the taking, Heinke said, and there’s no limit, telling that “if they want to grab 10, they can have 10,” noting they would keep a check to see when more books were needed.

These books, many of them, said Heinke, have come from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

They purchased extra copies of “The Little Engine That Could,” with some funding they had, said Brown. This is Dolly’s favorite book and it’s “such a signature book of the program,” she said.

Other books come as a result of program participants’ moving and are not at home to receive them anymore, Brown said, and “the post office holds those for us and returns boxes of those periodically,” and they use them for programs like this.

Because Smart Start specializes in the birth to age five group, Heinke said that most of the books would be for those ages in this library. However, if members of the community have books they want to put in there as well, “they are more than welcome to do that,” she said.

An avid reader, Patterson said she was looking forward to sharing these books with the children when they come. 

“I envision them coming out here and sitting at the tables and grabbing a book and just enjoying the stories,” she said. “We’re just grateful and appreciative of this opportunity and just looking forward to people being able to enjoy it.”

And as a way to give back, Patterson said they would be donating a book of the month to Smart Start from the Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom that is specifically related to agriculture. Along with the book, they would receive a curriculum which they can use in their centers, she said.

As October rolls around and pumpkins and festivals come to the farm, there is one more thing that families can add to their list to check out while there, and that’s the little red library, which is located right at the ice cream and picnic tables.

So, children can have a book, and “us knowing that we’re just a small part of that is fantastic,” said Heinke.