‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ has reached a major milestone, with the project now more than halfway towards its ambitious goal of installing 50 Little Free Libraries across Cambridgeshire following a community build-a-thon event held this week.
On Tuesday 11 August, skilled tradespeople and volunteers gathered at East Barnwell Community Centre in Cambridge to construct several of the book sharing boxes together, with another Little Free Big Build event planned at Soham Town Rangers Football and Social Club in Soham.
With college teams at Cambridge University and carpentry apprentices at HMP Peterborough among those also taking part, this week’s event brings the total number of Little Free Libraries in production so far to 30.
Led by Abbey People and local Little Free Librarian Dr Catherine Galloway, ‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ is a partnership project celebrating the UK National Year of Reading 2026.
Working alongside founding university partner Jesus College Cambridge and civic partner Constructed Pathways, with backing from non-profit the Farmington Institute, the project is creating a network of 50 registered Little Free Libraries in underserved communities across Abbey, Arbury, King's Hedges, Chesterton, Huntingdon, St Neots, Peterborough, and Fenland.
By installing the libraries outside homes and community venues in places with low book access the project aims to make reading for pleasure more accessible and inspiring for people of all ages, regardless of literacy levels.
Nicky Shepard, Chief Executive of Abbey People, says:
"Everyone deserves the opportunity to discover the joy of reading, but we know that access to books isn't equal. ‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ is about changing that. By placing Little Free Libraries in communities where they can make the greatest difference, we're making it easier for people of all ages to borrow a book, share a story and build stronger connections with their neighbours."
Reading has benefits far beyond literacy. It helps build confidence, concentration, imagination, empathy and mental wellbeing, whilst also improving life chances. Yet accessing books can sometimes be challenging, and statistics from the UK’s National Year of Reading show that fewer people than ever are reading for pleasure.
‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ builds on a successful initiative that began in Abbey in 2020, where a network of Little Free Libraries established by Catherine Galloway and volunteer librarians has already helped thousands of books find new readers.
Dr Catherine Galloway, local Little Free Librarian and co-founder of ‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’, says:
"For the past six years we have shown that bringing high-quality, free books to where people actually are really does change the story for a community. Spotting something wonderful to read or donating your own favourites for others as you pass by the box makes picking up a book again very easy. But we’ve noticed that countless other ‘little free’ acts of everyday kindness and connection are sparked by the presence of a library box in our midst. ‘Making Cambridge Reading Rich’ is about ensuring other communities across the county benefit from that bigger impact too.”
The Master of Jesus College, Ms Sonita Alleyne, has been involved with the Free Little Libraries project for a number of years.
Sonita says, “I am delighted to support this wonderful community initiative and am proud to say that, thus far, Jesus College has contributed four Little Libraries, built by our talented maintenance team. In addition, our students and staff have played an important role in the initiative’s success through their generous donations of books, helping to keep the libraries well stocked, welcoming, and accessible to all.”
The latest milestone in the project was made possible through the Little Free Big Build events, delivered with the help of construction skills organisation Constructed Pathways, which sourced materials, coordinated the builds and formed a network of industry partners to create the latest libraries. The events were also supported by Peter Saunders Builders Ltd, who generously supplied the materials and expertly cut and prepared every component ready for assembly.
Dan Edwards, Director and Co-Founder of Constructed Pathways, says:
"It's been fantastic to see so many people come together to help bring this project to life. Every Little Free Library we build is another opportunity to spark a love of reading, strengthen community connections and make books more accessible for everyone. We're incredibly grateful to everyone who has volunteered their time, skills and enthusiasm to help make this vision a reality.”
With 30 libraries now in production, the project is well on its way to reaching its target of 50.
Later this year, a mass community book drive will help stock each library with high-quality books donated by local residents, creating a lasting legacy that extends well beyond the National Year of Reading.
The 50 new Little Free Libraries in this project join a global Little Free Library movement of over 200,000 registered libraries across 128 countries, bringing over 500 million books into neighbourhoods worldwide.
To support this project please contact: [email protected]
