You can often find Katie Blejwas with her nose in a book. The fifth grader is an avid reader, fostered both by her parents and her teachers at Council Traditional School. “My mom and I really like libraries and books,” says Katie. Living in Midtown, Katie regularly sees miniature lending libraries that are posted in so many of the grassy front yards and on white picket fences in the area as she and her family go on walks with their dogs. It didn’t take long before Katie went from admiring the libraries in other people’s yards to wanting to create one for her own. It’s an unsurprising progression given Katie’s abundant creativity; a few former projects of hers include entering (and placing first in the state in) a chicken photography contest and taking the photos for the Mobile Tree Trail brochure. Katie’s goal for her library was to combine her love of books with her love of all things Mobile to share with others. “I just thought it would be cool to have books available and to see people stop by and look at them,” she says.
Katie and her mom drove to several local little libraries to draw inspiration, using The Little Free Library app to guide them. The app, which is part of the nonprofit Little Free Library, shows a map with pinpoints of all the registered little libraries in the area, with the option to mark each one as you visit. Katie took notes while they stopped by various locations, taking into consideration the pros and cons of other libraries to create the perfect model for their front yard. Then she enlisted help from her dad Andrew to get the project started. Katie is no stranger to building things with her father. The pair has tackled a few chicken coops and other small projects together, and Andrew has a background in hobby carpentry and woodworking. Along with having a uniquely Mobile design, Katie had one more specification. Given Mobile’s signature rainy weather, she was adamant that her library remained waterproof, keeping all the books inside dry.
A few design options were tossed around between the Blejwases, but the final decision was quickly made once a MoonPie was suggested. “We wanted to incorporate Mobile into whatever design we chose, so we were sitting down, just brainstorming and looking at pictures of what other people had done,” says Katie. “And my dad suggested a MoonPie and I said, ‘Yes, that’s the perfect Mobile thing!’” It was an ideal design for all involved, especially considering that the USS Alabama battleship was an early consideration. “I don’t know if we had space on the fence for that,” jokes Andrew with a hint of relief. The father-and-daughter duo got creative with their techniques when putting the little library together. “We had a projector that we used to cast the design onto the library door so we could trace it on the front,” says Katie. Katie’s mom Emily visited paint stores to find the colors that would exactly match those on the MoonPie boxes and wrappers. Once the Blejwases figured out the official colors, it took a few different mixes before they found the perfect shades. After the tracing was done, Katie and Andrew handpainted the final design onto the door. While being as true to the MoonPie branding as possible, Katie and Andrew added their own unique touches, such as the words “Little Free Library” and “Since 2024” on the front. From start to finish — and many layers of paint later — the project took about two months.
After the library was built and installed on their white picket fence, it came time to stock the library. Katie filled the inside with a variety of high-quality books that she and her mom sourced from local thrift stores; some of her favorite titles, such as “The One and Only Ivan,” make an appearance for others to enjoy. Katie also took care to see that a range of books, from kids’ books to adults’, were included in her library. “She always appreciates seeing a middle grade book in the libraries she visits because there are typically not a lot,” says Emily.
The little library is already a hit on Williams Court and beyond. “People have said that they really like the design and that it’s their favorite part,” says Katie. The family enjoys sneaking a peek out of their front window to see people looking through the library’s offerings or even contributing some of their favorite books to the collection. “We think the more books in the world, the better,” says Andrew. The library sports a little plaque that designates it as a registered Little Free Library; now, visitors can come and log that they visited the library through the app, just like Katie and her mom did on their research trip around Mobile. The library is sure to only increase in popularity (and in visitors) as the Mardi Gras season comes into full swing. “We were thinking maybe we would stock our library with MoonPies and decorate it with beads for Mardi Gras,” says Emily. They’ll be sure to include Katie’s favorite MoonPie flavor: chocolate. Beyond being a fun project, the library is a way to expand creativity, and celebrate reading and local icons. The library fits seamlessly with Midtown’s creative side and brings more excitement as the Mardi Gras season approaches. “People here aren’t afraid to just do funky, interesting, creative stuff,” says Emily. “I think this little library is our participation in that creative culture.”
A FEW MERRY MARDI GRAS READS
“Mardi Gras in Mobile” by L. Craig Roberts $19
“Carnival in Alabama” by Isabel Machado $30
“Mardi Gras in Alabama” by Karyn Tunks $18
“M is for MoonPie” by Candice Marley Conner $20
“Mobile’s Porch Parade: The Oldest Carnival in America Celebrated in a New Style” by Mobile Porch Parade $40
“Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler: Let the good times roll activity book” by Shanquilla Gamble $9
