By Stephen Cheslik
EAGLE TIMES MANAGING EDITOR
CLAREMONT, N.H. — Books spread ideas, and a library on a bike might spread ideas, and community, a little bit farther.
That’s the goal of Claremont resident Aaron Almanza who brought a mini library perched on a bike trailer to Saturday’s Rural Pride celebration in Broad Street Park.
“This is a project I’ve been working on for two months — a little free library. Mostly queer-written books, banned books, books of people of color and classic books.”
“So far, the reception has been really positive,” he said.
Until recently, Almanza had been living in San Francisco, where he worked for the LGBT National Help Center.
After the arrival of COVID-19, however, he was the only one going into the office for three years. Now, he runs the helpline out of his Claremont home.
“Twenty years ago, I worked at St. Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site as a ranger in Cornish. So, I decided to take a shot and moved here,” he said.
“The core values of both the Little Book Library and the hotline are the same thing, community building,” Almanza said. “I think that people are looking for ways to connect to the community. … I saw that there was a need.”
He has taken The Little Queery Free Book Bike Library to events in Burlington, White River Junction and Windsor in Vermont and Lebanon and Claremont in New Hampshire.
While the library may be bike-based, he says it fits in the back of his car for longer trips.
To find out where the library will be next, follow Almanza on Instagram at littlequeerybookbike.
For LGBTQ resources via the LGBT National Hotline, call 888-843-4564, or visit lgbthotline.org.
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