By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Linda Salomons loves (her emphasis) books and reading since she was a little girl. That love is currently playing a major role in her life. In addition to opening her free library known as Linda’s Little Free Library, she is also chairwoman of the newly formed Friends of the Vestal Public Library. However, that is not the end of her involvement with books: she’s also trying to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, an organization that offers free books to children, to Broome County. 
It was seeing Little Free Libraries around town and on her travels that inspired Salomons to start her own. (Little Free Libaries are book-sharing boxes that allow people to take or leave books at no cost.) “I decided that I would like to own one at my home in Vestal,” she said in an e-mail interview. “I went to [the Little Free Library] website, found what I wanted and then ‘hinted’ to my husband and boys that for Mother’s Day I wanted one. I follow an LFL Stewards’ Facebook page and other people who own LFL’s talk, share ideas and concerns that come up. Local friends have been very generous in donating children’s, teen and adult books, and my LFL has become quite popular. On Halloween, I sit outside by my LFL, give out candy, but also books! One mom told me last year that ‘this is the best thing that’s happened to our neighborhood.’ This made me very happy.” Her Linda’s Little Free Library has its own Facebook page.
It was after the COVID pandemic that Salomons became involved with the Vestal Public Library. “I decided I can’t keep buying books, so I decided to go back to my local library, the Vestal Public Library,” she noted. “I hadn’t been an active patron for many years, really since my boys were young, which is close to 10 years. When I went into the library, I was so pleasantly surprised! They had renovated the inside, all new furniture, large open and very bright spaces. The staff was so friendly. It got me thinking that more people need to know about this place! Unfortunately, the outside of the building still looks old and run down. If a person doesn’t step inside, they would never know how wonderful the environment is on the inside. The library definitely needs some curb appeal!”
Salomons wanted to spruce up the outside of the library, but that turned out to be more complex than she thought. “I had seen on Facebook or other places that some libraries in other cities actually paint murals of book stacks on the exterior of their buildings,” she said. “I spoke with one of the staff at the circulation desk about this idea and she shared with me that there were some issues about doing something like this because the library is actually owned by the Town of Vestal, and the library leases it and pays a yearly rental fee. I did some research about murals with a friend who oversaw the mural projects in downtown Binghamton, and came to the conclusion that there may be some issues (or it may take forever) with getting approval for a permanent solution on the exterior.” She hopes the library might be able to put up large vinyl vertical banners on the outside of the library instead, although she realizes this is not a permanent solution.
As chairwoman of the Friends of the Vestal Public Library, Salomons oversees and manages more than 20 community volunteers who are devoted to supporting and enhancing the library. “Together, we have had two successful book sales, have secured funding for a new water filling station in the library funded by a local business, have been tending to the outside gardens with a volunteer master gardener and are continuing to raise money to fund projects at the library that are not covered by their general operating budget, including the exterior outdoor banners,” she said. “We continue to seek out local businesses, individuals and families who might like to donate to the Friends group so we can continue to make an impact on this gem in our community.”
Her love of books and her passion for reading is what fuels her activities. “I believe books can enhance our imagination, bring us comfort, speak to us as friends,” Salomons said. “Since installing my [free little library] and getting involved at the [Vestal Public Library], I have found a camaraderie with so many more people who love books, collect books and are excited to share books. It brings me a lot of joy.”
To share the joy, Salomons has been working with a group of women since January to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Broome County. “Our group has been meeting with the United Way of Broome County which fully supports the program and strategies are being put into place to raise the funds to support the program,” she noted. “There is a bill (Bill S8514A) in the New York State Senate right now, which will provide matching funds to affiliates who are coordinating a Dolly Parton Imagination Library in their communities.”
She feels this is very important because the “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality and age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5, no matter their family’s income. The program launched in 1995 and quickly expanded beyond Dolly’s hometown in Sevier County, Tennessee. It became such a success that in 2000, a national replication effort was created. By 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books and as of this past December (2023), over 226 million free books have been gifted to children since the program began.”