LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 33 The couple's 2021 move to their eight-acre wooded property was a welcome change and presented a chal- lenging opportunity Pam couldn't resist. "Vines were everywhere when we first got here," she said. "My time is spent clearing land. There's noth- ing better than being outside. I like working hard; it makes me feel better. Last summer was the best sum- mer of my life physically. I'm not moving again, ever." And she can't wait to share the slice of heaven she's created with anybody who drives by. "I always have to come out and say, 'Hi!'" Wilcox said, smiling. "Take whatever you want and you don't have to bring a book to take a book. It's okay because when people take them if they leave them other places or at other Little Libraries, then my name gets around that way." She is officially registered with the non-profit, Min- nesota-based Little Free Library Organization, a global network that aims to build community, inspire read- ers, and expand access to books for all. This summer, Wilcox hopes to bring people together by hosting a community-wide yard sale. Since its inception in 2009, the Little Free Library program has grown to more than 200,000 registered book-sharing boxes in 128 countries around the globe. Her site has become so popular that Wilcox wel- comes all the books she can get to keep up with de- mand. This spring, she even put out a new bench with a flip-up seat where people can leave donated items, protected from the weather. Little Free Library in the Woods still is — and might always be — a work in progress whose only limits are Wilcox's time, enthusiasm, and boundless ambition. Aside from promoting good books, she wants it to be a fun place where kids can play croquet, bocce or board games while parents sit reading in a comfort- able Adirondack chair. "I'd like to have a little fountain and pond, kids would love that," she said. "I have a lot of dreams." t

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