In Iberia Parish, one barber is using his shop-- to do more than just cut hair.
Joe Battle, Brooklyn Fades barbershop owner, has cut hair in New Iberia for three years. Now he and community advocates are bringing awareness to the importance of reading through his very own barbershop.
“Kids started going ahead and reading it became contagious and as l would see one kid grab a book I’m looking up. Kids are following because they see one kid grab and they want to continue doing it,” Battle said.
Take a book, share a book—started as a town-wide initiative by the Literary Festival and news paper bins donated by the Daily Iberian.
Where Battle now holds the first little library in his barbershop.
Battle says this gives kids an alternative to technology
“Just expanding from always looking in your phone or looking in an Ipad. Let’s go back to what started and created everything,” Battle said.
“You can take books home and keep them. Or if you have extra books you can bring them. Make them a part of this library so other people can share. You don’t have to bring that book back.”
Lil' Brooklyn Neighborhood advocate, Anne Darrah said.
Darrah helped design the Little Library. And assisted in choosing its first location.
“It is important for black men to read to their children, but it’s not for me to say it’s for the neighbors here to say this is important to them,” Darrah said.
Darrah explains if you desire to have a "Little Library in your establishment advocates are there to assist you through the process.
“There's a few things you have to go through to turn it into a library. But we have written all those steps out so they can build it themselves and if anyone has any questions there's help for that,” She continued
If you would like to start up your own little library call the Bayou Teche Museum at 337-606-5977.
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