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Thank you for reading about our journey. I hope you will consider putting a library in your neighborhood. If you can't find a local creator, one that shares your values, please look to us. And please share our message. 💙

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I'm on a mission to get them in every park, apartment complex, and neighborhood in our red town. We have more ideas coming: grants for low-income areas. An artist series to support nonprofit art & humanities organizations. Our 1st artist to donate to this cause--my 96 yr old artist grandma, Ruth. 💙

96 year old Ruth paints 3 panels for the libraries.

96 year old artist, Ruth, paints a landscape scene on a panel for the library.

Front view of the library with books inside and artist Ruth Ceike's art on the side.

With the efforts to close libraries, ban books, destroy education, ignore science, we see these libraries no longer as a distracting hobby, but as an act of resistance. It feels important. The billboard feature allows a change of messaging. Your library doesn't have to be political, but it can be.

Since starting in December we have installed 12 LIBRARIES around our county. 😊 Last week we opened a shared bank account for this little business. We showed our banker the designs and the custom version he just completed. She looked at my dad and said, "wow, you are a true artist." 🥹 He is.

My dad doesn't think of himself as an artist. But he is. You might not think you're an artist. But artists are more than just their end products, more than what you might think of as a creator. Artists view the world from many perspectives. They "create" empathy. They "build" community.

A landscape painting in the side of the library.

I want to share this: if you're a maker, make things. The value might just be in the process, providing mental relief, or in building community. Sometimes it can be what saves us or sustains us to keep fighting the bigger battles ahead.

Man cleaning paint gun in several buckets.

Two students looking at books at a little library.

A young girl posing in front of a little library.

A young man reading a book from a little library.

At the fair, tons of like-minded people stopped by our booth. It renewed us, knowing there are so many of us. Dad is in the shop every day now: sketching, measuring, sawing, perfecting. Mom, too. Helping, painting. I'm getting books into the community. Spreading literacy. Making readers where I can.

Closeup of woman painting a library green.

Man in woodshop holding the rough sketch of a library.

Little library by the street with the house it is modeled after in the background.

In March we had our first craft show in collaboration w/ @helloagainbooks.bsky.social They're an LGBTQ+, woman-owned bookseller & models of positivity. In these tough times, they choose love & support & positivity. They offer a safe space for so many. Please follow and support them!

4 people standing behind a little library

Little library on the sidewalk outside of a bookstore.

We kept going...what if we had blank panels that you could paint? How could we make books, these libraries, even more fun, more personalized? Think Painting with a Twist but with books! Bring a book and paint panels for the library. We did this with friends and at school w/ students. So much FUN. 😁

We took the idea further & designed our "Novel Idea" library to have interchangeable sides & back panels. So it can act as a mini-billboard, with its changing designs. Think Pride Month, Holidays, Art, Poetry, Science Info, etc. These are just a few. We can even take custom designs & print them!

A sign that reads Women's History Month and has a picture of Rosie the Riveter.

sign with dog in the middle and words reading "Bruce's Library EST 2024" around it.

Sign "if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours." Dolly Parton

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So we turned our focus to our hearts & hands; we decided to start making neighborhood libraries. With my love of literature and his carpentry skills it was perfect. We could provide banned books, books of diversity, of science. PLUS my best friend Jen happened to own a printing company BCreative...

Little library, white, with about 20 books inside.

Side angle of little library. Side has an image of books and a quote that reads "The man who does not read has no advantage of the man who cannot read." Mark Twain.

One night we were talking about the neighborhood library he had made for me the previous year. How much I loved it, how it was always attracting people, even in our very red neighborhood. I know many Trump supporters visited it and took books and shared books. Many non-Trumpers loved it being there.

Little library by the road, dark blue, with door open showing two shelves of books. Words across the top read: take a book, leave a book.

Two disturbing messages from the course subtly recurred. They were basically: 1. Yea, we had slavery and it was bad but everyone was doing it & many places were worse. 2. Religion is really what the founders wanted because, well, they quoted scripture a lot. So, it belongs in our institutions! 🤡

A constant attack on "woke" teachers. DEI weaponized. I teach w/ MAGA teachers whose beliefs are not conducive to this work; who cheer the dismantling of DOE. Censorship, religion in school, prejudice, are becoming acceptable. Denial of science is prevalent. Critical thinking is losing. 😔

Group of about 12 high school students posing for picture in front of class.

Group of about 30 high school students posing for picture in front of class.

Group of 4 high school students posing for picture with their teacher.

Group of 5 high school graduates posing for picture with their teacher.

Over in my world, teaching high school literature has grown more challenging. My district ordered thousands of books pulled from our shelves until "review". They then proceeded to remove teachers and media specialists from the so-called "review committees" and installed political allies.

Stack of about 15 books in a classroom including: The Underground Railroad, Beloved, Maya Angelou poetry.

One shelf of books with a sign in front that reads "Any Book Worth banning is a book worth reading" Above the shelf is The Handmaids Tale.

When people saw old, white, male construction guy in a pickup, they "assumed" so he put stickers to his truck, wore printed shirts & hats to show otherwise. He lost friends & family over it. Many of you can relate. Losing local elections was hard on him, but when Hillary lost, he got VERY depressed.

Man on a street wearing a shirt that says 98% Scientists Believe and he's holding a sign that says "the oceans are rising." A woman standing next to him has her back turned to the camera and her shirt says "Climate Change is Real"

Man inside home holding sign that say "This is #ourparty STACEY for FDR

White pickup trick with large sign that says Biden/Harris in the back.

An outdoor carport with about 10 large 6 foot political signs for Sanjay Patel.

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DeSantis claims FL is where "woke goes to die." We're the first state to ban CRT. We're an unwelcome place for the LGBTQ+ community and women, POC, immigrants. Currently, they're working to change child labor laws so that 14 year-olds can work overnight shifts. ON A SCHOOL NIGHT.

Our Sheriff, Wayne Ivey, a Trump wannabe, hosts a show: "Wheel of Fugitive" and "Fishing 4 Fugitives" where he makes a game show out of people's lives. Our local school board member AND teacher union Pres. held a joint press conference w/ him IN FRONT OF THE JAIL to talk about school discipline.

Sherriff Wayne Ivey in front of a Spinning, game show type of wheel, that has pictures of "fugitives" on each section.

Screen showing a "fugitive" with his name and stats but posted as if a fish on a fishing expedition. Part of Sherriff Wayne Ivey's Fishing for Fugitives program.

Matt Susin, Anthony Collucci, and Wayne Ivey standing at a microphone at a press conference in front of a barbed wire scene of a jail.

Over the years, MAGA has taken over our county: we had the highest level of Jan 6 insurrectionists, and the co-founder of Moms for Liberty was my school board member. Our neighborhood is inundated with handmade "Let's Go Brandon" banners and "FJB" signs. They put stickers on street signs.🙄

Woman with shirt that reads "moms for Liberty" and has her hands on two stacks of books.

Street sign that says Caution TRUMP Area. Trump has been added as a sticker. Two garbage cans are next to it.

A flag hangs from a tree. The flag is a picture of Trump when he was shot in the ear.

A tale of blue dots treading water in a sea of red. My immediate family consists of my 2 daughters, my parents, & grandma but THIS story is about me & my dad: Randy is a retired carpenter of 50 yrs; I'm a HS literature teacher of 25 yrs. FL has been our home our whole life. (It used to be better).

a man and a woman, about 55 years old, with their arms around two kids. One is graduating and has white cap and gown on. The other kids is a young girl about 10 years old with a blue dress.

Woman two girls on each side. All three looking into the camera, smiling, with arms around each other . The one on the left side has short hair and a white shirt about 22 years old. The woman in the middle is about 45 and the girl on the right has long dark hair and about 16 years old.

Picture of big group of people, outside, gazebo in the back. Wedding couple in center of pic.

Group family photo taken outside with everyone standing around an older couple who are sitting in chairs.

Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Bluesky friends. I'm pinning this story here to share how this girl & her dad started a neighborhood library business as a direct result of Trump's agenda. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read our story. 💙 #BookSky #ReadBannedBooks #NeighborhoodLibraries #MakeART

man and woman standing on either side of a little library that is Dr. Suess style. It is bright colors and curvy shapes with Dr. Seuss sayings and characters on it. They are standing under a tent.

A little library ( box with plexiglass front) set on a post by the road in front of a house. The side has a design that says Hello Spring and it is in bright yellow with flower design.

Man and woman standing next to a little library from a side view. Woman in forefront. The side of the little library has an image of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s face with a quote. They are outside on the side of the street in what looks like a downtown area.

Same man and woman next to a Dr. Seuss designed library in a pot outside of someone's house. The library is brightly colored in green, yellow, purple and red. The post is curvy.

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It's World Bee Day. 🐝💙🐝 We love books and bees! Promote both with our neighborhood libraries--they come with interchangeable panels so that in spring you can use our LOVE BEES collection to spread awareness while spreading literacy. :) WIN WIN #NeighborhoodLibraries #WorldBeeDay #BooksAndBees

Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

My dad made a little neighborhood library to match my bestie's home. Pretty impressive. She absolutely loves it. What do you think? #CustomNeighborhoodLibrary #LitInspiredLibrary

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

My dad made a little neighborhood library to match my bestie's home. Pretty impressive. She absolutely loves it. What do you think? #CustomNeighborhoodLibrary #LitInspiredLibrary

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A fantastic first day at the Cocoa Village Art & Craft Fair. Our 1st one. We are so thankful for our friends at @helloagainbooks.bsky.social who helped us w/ location and sales. Interested in a Neighborhood library?Check us out at www.litinspired.com

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Interested to see what you come up with... Today's #LitInspiredWritingSpark 💙 Post your results! 📝🌟💡#LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #mentalhealth #Writerlife #TeachWriting #Educator #Creativity

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Today's #LitInspiredWritingSpark Take a five minute break for creativity and mental clarity. 💙 Post your results! 📝🌟💡#LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #mentalhealth #Writerlife #TeachWriting #Educator #Creativity

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Here we go... shorturl.at/RAQQJ

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Today's #LitInspiredWritingSpark Take a five minute break for creativity. 💙 Daily #LitInspiredWritingSpark. Post your results! 📝🌟💡#LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #Writerlife #TeachWriting #Educator #Creativity

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

This isn't just for writers or students. Sometimes we all need to just take a creative break. Give yourself five minutes. See where it leads you. 💙 Daily #LitInspiredWritingSpark. Post your results! 📝🌟💡#LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #Writerlife #TeachWriting #Educator #Creativity

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Daily #LitInspiredWritingSpark. Today in class students will go to the bookshelves and grab any book. Then follow this prompt. Try it. Would love to see your original and new sentence/starter here. 📝🌟💡 #LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #Writerlife #TeachWriting #Educator

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Me: (prepared for disappointment): So, I'm sorry, kids. I only finished grading about 1/2 your essay exams. I just didn't do school work over break. I spent time with the fam. Students: Good for you, Ms. D. As you should. (they clap🤣) Say what you want but this gen DOES get work/life balance.😆💙

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Holiday is over; it's back to school and back to the daily #LitInspiredWritingSpark designed to generate ideas and wake up your creative side. Share your writing here and tune in daily for a new prompt.📝🌟💡 #LitInspiredWritingSpark #WritingCommunity #Writerlife

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

This has been an important poem in my life the past year and a half. I reread it at least once a week. Maybe someone can use it.

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

helped me tremendously. When I talk to those 1 or 2 kids they often have something else going on. Of course there are times when it isn't just the 1-2 it's more like 12-15 and then it's time to self-reflect. Is there something I need to tweak in my lesson? Hope this helps! Would 💙your best advice.

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Christmas presents from friends when you’re an English teacher. 😁💙🎄😁💙🎄😁💙🎄

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

MALA - Make America Literate Again. Merry Christmas Eve, Bluesky friends. Lots of people asking about this hat...it won't arrive by Christmas, but it will arrive in time for inauguration. Just posting on BLUESKY: 20% off until Jan 20th. Enter code: MALA20 tiny.cc/MALAHat

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Merry Christmas! My two grown daughters are home 🥹 making cookies and apple pie today. I love this community and looking forward to growing and connecting more here in 2025. Here’s a picture of my grand-dog, Bruce. He’s the chillest dog I’ve ever met. 💙💙💙🎄🎄🎄

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

I made these after the election. Note: I’m an English teacher in Fl…ya know, the place where DeSantis says “Woke goes to die” 🙄 So does literacy.

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Today's #LitInspiredWritingSpark is art-inspired. ✍️ I use these with students to introduce them to a variety of artists. Some classic, some contemporary. Please share your experience & writing! 💙 Link to artist on image. #WritingCommunity #Edusky #EnglishTeachers #writingprompts #Writingteachers

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Lit Inspired @litinspired.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Today's #LitInspiredWritingSpark. ✍️ Something to grease the creative wheels. Write a haiku by focusing on ONE thing outside. Then, write another focused on something within THAT poem. Get small. Please share! 💙 #WritingCommunity #Edusky #Teachers #EnglishTeachers #writingprompts #Writingteachers