Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The New York Institute of Technology of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State) unveiled a new Little Free Library located in front of University Heights Elementary School in a dedication ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

The library is the result of a partnership with University Heights Elementary and NYITCOM at A-State to promote childhood literacy. Elementary school and NYITCOM staff, as well as project donors, were present at the ceremony.

NYITCOM at A-State library director Dr. Sloane Kelley said the university was excited to partner with UHE and support literacy at the elementary school.

“This is just a way for the community to engage with the students and with literacy activities. So, we’re hoping that people in the neighborhood will come leave a book and take a book. People of any age can do that,” Kelley said.

Kelley noted that the box has been added to the Little Free Library World Map. The map displays locations of Little Free Libraries across the country, including other libraries in Northeast Arkansas.

University Heights Elementary librarian Kristy Hister said they were thankful to NYITCOM and sponsors Bill and Vikki Harrison for their support for this and other literacy projects at the school.

“They purchased it. They’re going to provide books for us to fill it and keep it filled so our community can use it,” she said. “It’s an after-school kind of thing, so if families want to come and get book, we’ll have books for adults, we’ll have books for teens, we’ll have books for kids.”

The Harrisons expressed excitement about being part of the project.

“We like to work on literacy projects,” Bill said, noting that they are big supporters of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. “Anything we can do to help with literacy around the schools, whether it’s Imagination Library, it’s preschool, or projects like this, then we like to do it.”

“This one had literacy and community involvement,” Vikki added. “Literacy is really important to us. It makes a big difference in your community and in your life. And not everybody has access to the books that my kids had, and I’d like there to be more access for all kids, adults, anybody who likes to read.”

University Heights Elementary is located at 300 Bowling Lane.