It is one of several in Milford

By Theresa Knapp 

When Sophia Soares was choosing an issue for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she chose literacy in Milford - specifically providing children with access to free books. 

“I love reading and working with younger kids, I babysat and worked at a daycare when I started this project,” said Soares, who worked on the project for more than a year. “At Little Critters Daycare, I read a lot of books to the kids, they were always so excited when we got new books.” 

Soares, who is a member of Milford Girl Scout Troop 11275, said her goal was to provide families with more access to books especially during school vacations, to provide books that children could continue to grow with, and to do it in a sustainable way. 

Then, after a staff member at Memorial Elementary School made a social media post about wanting a Little Free Library for students, Soares had her project idea: to build a Little Free Library in her neighborhood. 

“Little Free Libraries are a great way to give kids books they can keep forever and hold onto for their adult lives,” said Soares. 

Her Gold Award project resulted in a freestanding blue box of free books that stands outside the Memorial Elementary School. To promote the project, Soares hosted a book drive, made a list of area Little Free Libraries for the Milford Senior Center, and interviewed with local media. 

“From my book drive, I donated my books to fill up other communities’ Little Free Libraries, local libraries, and thrift stores; sprinkling books everywhere just like Miss Rumphius did in the childhood book [of the same name, by Barbara Cooney], sprinkling lupine seeds everywhere,” says Soares.

The new little library is listed on the Little Free Library website (app.littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap) and on the mobile app. 

Soares will receive her Gold Award pin at a ceremony in