Plainfield's Newest Micro-Library Was Built By Local Boy Scout

PLAINFIELD, IL — People picking up or dropping off food at the micro-pantry situated outside the Edward Jones Investments property on Caton Farm Road may have noticed a new pillar filled with books.

The micro-library — operating similarly to a Little Free Library — is 17-year-old Andrew Mohr's Eagle Project. One of the last steps before becoming an Eagle Scout, the project allows Boy Scouts to demonstrate leadership while building something to benefit their community.

The Plainfield resident and recent Plainfield South High School grad is a member of Boy Scouts of America Troop 175, based in Joliet. He joined the group in second grade, making his micro-library the culmination of about 12 years of work.

When he was brainstorming Eagle Scout projects, he thought "it'd be great if the people coming here to get food could also get a book," according to his dad, Brian.

With COVID-19 restrictions, Boy Scouts weren't able to meet, which forced Andrew to slow down and take his time planning his Eagle Scouts project. After getting the project sponsored by a financial advisor at Edward Jones, Andrew's parents helped him build the library, which took about three weeks.

It'll be almost a month after the library was installed on May 28, and Brian said it's "working as designed."

"I've been up there a couple times since we put it up there and definitely noticed the books are disappearing and I have noticed some new books and new things being put in there," Brian said.

To get the library going, Andrew held a book drive and received enough books from the community to keep the library full "for a while," according to his dad.

Once Eagle Projects are complete, Boy Scouts aren't required to maintain them. But since Andrew and his family live nearby, they've kept up with it.

"We'll always have people giving us books or have our own books that we'll put in there," Brian said. "Hopefully the construction itself will last us a few years. ... We'll definitely keep an eye on it, my son and I."

Now that he has graduated high school, Andrew's plan is to attend Joliet Community College in the fall to study electrical engineering, his dad said.