Millersville University students are working to bridge the community with the love of reading.
On April 14, the Books and Banter club of Millersville University unveiled its Little Library. This newly built library, which resides in front of the Student Memorial Center Gym, stands tall next to the sidewalk with a roof that is designed to resemble a book.
“We had this idea planned since November 2024, when the club was first established, but we started the process officially in January 2025 when I reached out to the MU Construction Club,” explains Nelian Cruz, Books and Banter’s President. “We really wanted to collaborate with another organization on building the library and we came across the construction club. So, I emailed Brody, the President of MU Construction and pitched him my idea and he was all in from the very beginning. We met frequently to discuss the structure and planning especially, since the roof of the little library was made to resemble an open book.”
Cruz continued, “The Commuter and Off Campus Student Services and the Student Memorial Center also sponsored the Little Library so their sponsorship helped with the creation of the library.”
The board was also able to highlight general members throughout the little library’s construction process.
“MU Construction were very detailed with their work and truly made our vision come to life. One of our general club members, Erica Cooper, helped create a vinyl of our logo and attached it to the side of the library herself. We are super happy with the outcome and the time and dedication everyone put into making it possible,” explained Cruz.
The construction of this community library got underway through the original 2025 board of Books and Banter, consisting of: President Nelian Cruz, Vice President Emily Lion, Treasurer Karli Noll, Secretary Chloe Kissinger, and Gabriel Flocco for Public Relations.
“I think the little library is important because, similar to the book club itself, it serves as a place for students to branch out and either try a new genre or pick up a book they may have never considered in a store,” explains Lion. “Reading is such a powerful tool for so many reasons, and I could not be more grateful to be given the opportunity to show that to other students.”
Little libraries have started emerging in the past two decades, as the United States started witnessing this movement in 2009 in Wisconsin. This emergence is important as it helps bring books to those in a variety of communities, without costs deterring new readers.
“It is important to make reading accessible and inexpensive on campus because it opens the doors to shared experiences, new ideas, cultural backgrounds, and perspectives,” explains Cruz. “It’s also an outlet for those who need a mental break from school and other life problems. It gives them an outlet to enjoy a world that isn’t their own and a good book goes a long way for someone who needs it.”
Books & Banter is a recently formed club that started meeting in the Fall 2024 semester. Members can read a variety of genres and, depending on the meeting, bring their favorite book or follow-along with their book of the month selections.
While this is just the start for this new club, Books and Banter’s little library can be seen as a new, noticeable piece on campus.
“The goal was to make a little library everyone can enjoy and make it welcoming for the students and I think we accomplished that goal,” says Cruz.
For updates and new events hosted by Books & Banter, new information can be found on their Instagram @booksandbanter.mu
