Little Library boxes have become a familiar part of life in Highland, with several now located around town. Two or three stand outside private homes on River Road in Barryville, and another, stocked with general fiction, sits along the roadside at the Barryville Farmers Market. A charming yellow library “mansion” was installed several years ago beside the Pizza Piazza in Eldred to celebrate the birthday of Pat Fraysse, co-owner of the well-known yellow Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey. This is the seventh Farmers Market season, and two more Library Boxes were added near the white fence at the garden entrance—one for cookbooks and food writing, the other for gardening books. 

Hand-painted by Todd Anderson, an accomplished artist at Foxturnal Studios in Eldred, the beautifully crafted boxes add color and character to the Garden. The books are free and available 24/7 during the Barryville Farmers Market season, which runs from May through October. Following a “Leave One, Take One” model, the boxes encourage neighborly exchange and help create a welcoming gathering place at the market. Their collection will be refreshed through local donations and contributions from our friends at the Sunshine Hall Free Library. The two new Little Library Boxes were made possible by a generous donation from Cathy Daboul of Barryville and are curated by musician and writer Mike Edison, who has directed the “Back to the Garden” programs since they began in 2021. Over the past four years, The Garden at the Barryville Farmers Market has hosted more than forty public events and offered over two thousand free craft classes for children. Also working with Mike Edison and Todd Anderson on this project is Dr. Richard Malenky. If you would like to donate cooking or gardening books, please contact info@barryvillefarmersmarket.org. Please do not drop off books without contacting them first.

I recently looked through the cookbook section of the Little Library Boxes at the Market and found several well-known titles. These libraries are a wonderful addition to the Market’s long-term farm vendors, local small businesses, the church thrift shop with its new green-striped awning, and the live music offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.—all set along the beautiful Delaware River. By next week, I’ll have the Back to the Garden Program Guide ready to share.

The Sunshine Hall Free Library will hold its popular Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12. According to an announcement on the library’s website, the location will be announced soon. In addition to offering a wide selection of books, the sale is seeking bakers for both days. If you can help with the bake sale, please contact Helene Hoffman at the library at (845) 557-6258 during regular business hours. The sale is usually held at Town Hall, but ongoing renovations may have made the location unavailable. Along with a new kitchen and conference room, the renovation plans include replacing the old carpet in the main meeting room with a more practical wood floor. As more location details become known I will let you all know. If you want to find out what else is going on and learn about the great benefits of having a free Library card at the Sunshine Hall Free Library go to sunshinehallfreelibrary.org.