Riverside pop-up library provides free books to children amid coronavirus pandemic

A pop-up library in one Riverside neighborhood is offering everyone a break from technology and the pandemic.

John Gregory Image
Friday, September 25, 2020
IE pop-up library provides free books to children
A pop-up library in one Riverside neighborhood is offering everyone a break from technology and the pandemic.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- With so many public and school libraries, plus book stores, shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's not that easy to find a book these days. And it's especially challenging for students.

But in an age of social media and streaming networks, there is still room for a good book. And in one Riverside neighborhood you'll find plenty on the sidewalk.

Kids seem to love the neighborhood library and that's just what librarian Susan Straight wants to hear. She started putting out the books when the coronavirus shut down the local schools.

"And I put kids books and books I thought elderly people would like and they were gone the first day," Straight said.

The library has grown since then. Straight now has books for just about everyone.

"I have contemporary fiction, mysteries, commercial fiction, lots of classics," said Straight.

There are no strict rules at the library. It's all based on the honor system and that's proving to be a winning formula for everyone.

"I have people dropping off entire boxes of books at night," said Straight.

Bring a book, borrow a book, or take a book, it's all OK at the library. It's a sidewalk stop where the written word is offering everyone a break from technology, and more importantly, the pandemic.