Restoring New Rochelle's Pop Up Libraries

In 2019 the City of New Rochelle joined the “Little Free Library” movement, with “Pop-Up Library” kiosks installed at 6 locations around the city. The concept behind these book exchange boxes is simple: Take a book or leave a book. The goal is to promote literacy and the love of reading, and to build a sense of community, while also creating unique public art, because each of New Rochelle’s library kiosks was embellished by a different artist. (The project was a collaboration between the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, MBK New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Public Library.)

Six years after their original installation some of New Rochelle’s Pop Up Libraries have been damaged or removed; the remaining book sharing boxes need restoration and TLC. Last month artist Cristina Cerone stepped up to refresh the Pop Up Library she created in 2019 at Hudson Park. “I really love this project, and I hope there are more people who might be inspired to help preserve the existing libraries and maybe create more,” said Cerone.

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts agrees: The group is looking for volunteers interested in helping to restore the existing Pop Up Libraries and potentially create more. "We especially need volunteers to act as "stewards" for each of the Pop Up Libraries to keep them in good shape," says NRCA President Theresa Kump Leghorn. Contact NRCA at hello@newrochellearts.org for more information.

The Pop Up Library project started with a Call for Artists issued by NRCA in 2018, asking for proposals on how to turn book sharing boxes purchased from the Little Free Library online store into works of art. The original kiosks – at Glenwood Lakes, Hudson Park, Huguenot Park, Lincoln Park, outside of Columbus School and at Paws Place dog park at Ward Acres Park – were created by artists Carol Bowen, Cristina Cerone, Alvin Clayton, Laura Heiss, Stephanie Lombardo and Aston LeMelle Thomas. (An additional Pop Up Library created by international pop artist Charles Fazzino was briefly installed at the New Rochelle Train Station but had to be removed due to vandalism.)

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota; its mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes. Started in 2009, the organization saw its 200,000th Little Free Library book-sharing box unveiled at Benjamin E. Mays IB World School in St. Paul, MN in March 2025.

New Rochelle’s original Pop-Up Libraries project was a collaboration between the NRCA, MBK New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Public Library, working with the New Rochelle Dept. of Parks and Recreation; the project was partially funded by ArtsWestchester.