Thursday, October 1, 2026
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
Jacquie Neff of Vermilion Hills, Falls Township noticed that her neighborhood “Little Free Library” on Vermilion Drive needed some tender loving care.
“There was a little free library on Vermilion Drive near the playground that was looking grungy,” Jacquie said. “Over the past few months, the door fell off, and we had a huge snowstorm and all the snow piled in there and ruined all the books. I felt terrible about it because I know a lot of the kids in the neighborhood use it.”
Jacquie saw a Facebook post that the person who originally established it moved away and asked for a volunteer to take over its maintenance. “I said ‘yes. Absolutely, I would do it,’” she said.
After looking over its condition, Jacquie and her husband Alex decided to build a new library that was larger, nicer, and sturdier. They established the Neff Family Foundation and donated the materials for its construction. She enlisted the help of her father John Rodak, a retired union carpenter, to help her build it. Now the neighborhood has an all new “Little Vermilion Library” which can accommodate about 100 books for kids and teens (and grown-ups too!).
“My dad built it like a little house. We joked that you could house a little family in there,” said Jacquie, who enjoys woodworking as a hobby and helped her dad with the construction. “So, kids, grown-ups, really just about anyone, can come pick out a book or donate a book if they’d like to.”
Jacquie, Alex, and their toddler daughter Raquel hosted the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the fully stocked little library in mid-April. Many neighborhood families joined in the fun and donated books for all ages and interests.
“We wanted Raquel to be able to use this library when she gets a little bit older and we wanted to give back to the community of Vermilion Hills. This is our first home we ever bought together and we wanted to do something nice for the neighborhood.”
As the local children helped Jacquie cut the ribbon and officially open the new little library, some neighbors commented on the importance of having it in their community.
“My grandkids love to come down here to take a book and bring a book,” noted Jackie Harrison of Viewpoint Lane. “We tell them you can’t come down without bringing a book!”
Carrie Smith, who also lives in the neighborhood agreed. “I have two grandkids and they love books and love to read. It teaches them to share. If you bring a book, then you can take one,” Carrie noted.
The Little Vermilion Library is registered with the Little Free Library (LFL), a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The charter number is 224198 and it can be located on an interactive map on the LFL website along with thousands of others worldwide.
The Little Vermilion Library will receive a plaque noting the registration number that will be affixed to it. “There’s even an app where people can find the libraries and write comments. It’s pretty neat,” Jacquie noted.
According to the LFL website, the first Little Free Library book-sharing box was built by Todd H. Bol in 2009, and the LFL nonprofit was established in 2012. The nonprofit’s mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. There are more than 200,000 registered book-sharing boxes worldwide. They are found in all 50 states, in 128 countries, and across all seven continents—even Antarctica. More than 400 million books have been shared through these little libraries, profoundly increasing book access for readers of all ages and backgrounds.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Alex reflected on the importance of these little libraries in fostering community. “Our little library was rundown but it was still being used. We wanted to provide a bigger space to take books and leave books. It sets a good example about learning through reading. It also shows how giving back to the community is so important,” he noted.
Jacquie added that the library was always popular with the kids, and now they have something even better. “I constantly saw kids down there. I told the kids we were going to put up a brand new one, and they were so excited. I think it’s super important for kids to read and for less screen time and watching television.”
The official address of the Little Vermilion Library is 171 Vermilion Drive in Levittown which is located outside the Tot Lot in Vermilion Hills. To learn more, visit the Little Vermilion Library on Facebook or visit littlefreelibrary.org.
