From left to right, Fletcher Elementary School Principal Amanda Sischo, Boy Scouts troop leader Bill Vogt, Eagle Scout Charlie Vogt, and Fletcher School reading teacher Rachel Benjamin stand with the “free little library” gifted to Fletcher and Ring schools by Charlie Vogt.

A local Boy Scout recently donated two “free little libraries” to M.J. Fletcher and C.C. Ring elementary schools that aim to put more books into the hands of students and their families.

Charlie Vogt, a member of Boy Scouts Troop #126 and a senior at Chautauqua Lake Central School, completed two Free Little Libraries as part of his Eagle Scout project and donated them to the district — one for M.J. Fletcher Elementary School and one for C.C. Ring Elementary School.

The service opportunity was coordinated by Fletcher reading specialist Rachel Benjamin, who serves on the school’s “Family and Community Engagement” committee.

“Students reading at home is critical for student success,” said Benjamin. “When speaking to students, too many said that they do not read at home because they do not have books. Over the past few years, we have brought in a Book Vending Machine and Scholastic Book Fairs to help our families build their home libraries.”

Benjamin said the idea for the Free Little Libraries came from continued conversations about how to make books more accessible to families, particularly for those who may have difficulty traveling to access resources.

“With the help of my father-in-law, who has been involved in Boy Scouts for many years, we were able to connect with Troop #126 to see if any scouts were looking for a project,” Benjamin said. “Charlie was interested and took on the project, building two beautiful libraries for our schools.”

The libraries were delivered in mid-March and have been installed and stocked with books for students and families to take, share, and enjoy, creating another opportunity to encourage reading beyond the classroom.