A great adult & children’s pair of little free libraries in the 56. Photo by JD Jordan. This photo doesn’t qualify as an endorsement on the part of Little Free Library or this homeowner.

I love Little Free Libraries. Always have.

While most candidates and politicians engage in very broad marketing, a principle of a product design is that it’s far more effective to meet people where they already are. So, instead of blasting generic marketing into the void and hoping the right people see it, I’d rather target a touchpoint people already engage with positively and give them something useful—not just another disposable marketing message.

It’s this product mindset that informed the design of my campaign business cards: Bookmarks that highlight the problem of censorship and the book ban epidemic that’s increasingly a blight in Georgia.

Because opposition to book bans is a truly bi-partisan issue, I’m confident appealing to people who love books, value reading, and respect the special place libraries have our communities is a great way to reach a sympathetic segment of our electorate.

That said, Little Free Libraries are a special kind of public space. So when I drop bookmarks, I try to be mindful and follow a few self-imposed rules:

I only put bookmarks in adult literature or YA titles I know appeal to adults. I never put campaign literature in children’s books—kids are pre-political and should have the freedom to stay that way.
I drop a few extra bookmarks for people who might want to share with a friend or for new books that enter circulation between visits.
I try to tidy up each Little Free Library when I’m there. They’re small and they’re cute and they get overwhelmed really really quickly. These libraries are labors of love for everyone who touches them and I’m happy to help out.

So far, the strategy appears to be working. I’ve definitely connected with lots of folks who also love books.

And I also got to know the district a little better every time I head out—from churches and parks to elementary schools, community centers, businesses, and lots of beautiful neighborhoods. I get to know what we’re all reading, too! Why, just yesterday, I was able to grab a Rochester cookbook for a friend and Stephen King’s The Gunslinger for Jack! (Thanks to whomever shared those titles!)

What Little Free Libraries mean.

A wonderful Little Free Library in the 56 that includes sharable plush friends your kiddo can read to! Love it. Photo by JD Jordan. This photo doesn’t qualify as an endorsement on the part of Little Free Library or this library’s steward.

There are over 150,000 Little Free Libraries spread across 120 countries and in all 50 states. And there are 42 registered libraries here in the 56 (and likely a few more more unregistered).

Conceived of to fight America’s growing literacy crisis and to fill book deserts wherever they are, Little Free Libraries have become an interesting barometer for the health and connectedness of the communities they inhabit.

According to littlefreelibrary.org,

One book is shared every day in the average library.
92% of people say their communities are friendlier because of their local Little Free Library.
72% of stewards—the people who manage their own libraries—report becoming better connected with their neighbors.

These benefits are especially true in middle class and upper income communities where Little Free Libraries are “about the community building piece.” More than that, these unique public boxes improve property values. Margret Aldrich, author of “The Little Free Library Book,” reports that houses sell faster in neighborhoods with Little Free Libraries.

Meanwhile, in lower income communities, the libraries are more about the literacy piece and making sure everyone—children and adults, alike—have easy access to books.

And everywhere, these libraries fight the authoritarian book bans plaguing our schools and communities. Library stewards can even apply to receive free banned books from their area from the national nonprofit or participating publishers.

Where are the Little Free Libraries in the 56?

There are so many benefits to Little Free Libraries—literacy, community closeness, property values—it was a surprising to discover that Little Free Libraries aren’t more evenly distributed throughout the 56.

The distribution of Little Free Libraries across the tri-county area of Georgia’s state senate district 56. Data from littlefreelibrary.org/map/ with a few locations corrected (notably Dupree Park and Roswell Area Park) or added (Canton Street and Temple Kehillat Chaim). Map by JD Jordan.

As the map above reveals, East Cobb—the largest population center in the district—is home to the lion’s share of the 56’s Little Free Libraries with central and West Roswell coming in second. But with the exception of a few well-loved libraries in central Woodstock, Cherokee County has significantly fewer locations than the rest of the district. And throughout, gaps exist in areas full of wonderful neighborhoods, great schools, and beautiful parks.

I should note, there are libraries surrounding the district on all sides—across 575, down in Marietta and Dunwoody, over in East Roswell or north of us in Milton and Alpharetta—and there are also a number of unregistered libraries, though those can be hard to find.

Hit the littlefreelibrary.org/map/ website or the Little Free Library app (App Store or Google Play Store) to find your closest location. And if there isn’t a location in your neighborhood, I hope you’ll consider becoming the steward of your own Little Free Library.

Win your own Little Free Library for the 56!

My neighborhood Little Free Library! Photo by Ellie Jordan. This photo doesn’t qualify as an endorsement on the part of Little Free Library or this library’s steward.

I’m running for Georgia's state Senate District 56 to help make our district and our state a better place for everyone to live. And I want to get started right away.

As we’ve discussed, above, Little Free Libraries are an amazing boon to their communities and to people of all ages. And, while we enjoy many locations in our district already, there are large areas in the 56 without these unique sharing libraries.

So, between now and the end of January, my campaign is sponsoring a holiday sweepstakes to give away, install, and register a custom built little free library to someone in our district.

If you’ve always wanted your own Little Free Library—at home, at your office, or as a gift for your school, community center, church, park, or a friend—now is your chance! We’ll even help source a great starter set of books to get your library going.

Enter for a chance to win by:

Donating to my state Senate campaign using the sweepstakes form at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/littlefreelibrary
Sending an index card with your name, address, phone number, and email address to:
Jordan for Georgia
10800 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 208 #629
Roswell, GA 30076-1467

The drawing will be held on January 27, 2024—so don't wait and get your entry in today!

Sweepstakes rules and details are available at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/littlefreelibrary.

Enter to win!

The gift of books.

A snap our our family’s tree on Roswell square. Photo by JD Jordan.

If it isn’t already apparent, I have very strong feelings about books and their very special place in our lives and our free society.

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved great stories. Growing up, I devoured Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, anything by Shel Silverstein, and the magic of the Scholastic book fair. But it wasn’t until my fifth grade English teacher at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School turned me on to Madeleine L'Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time that I really fell in love with long-form reading,

When you share a book with someone, you share a whole world. You share something personal and transportive and challenging all at the same time. But most importantly, you share something inherently empathetic.

This year, my family participated in Roswell’s Deck the Square tree-decorating festival. Ours was the “Gift of Books” tree and we littered it with so many of the books we love: from childhood favorites like Love Your Forever and Skippyjohn Jones, perennial favorites like Dune and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and books by people we love like Dan Unmasked and Hardscrabble Road and Every Single Secret. There might even be a Calamity on there. 😇

This year, I hope you’ll consider giving the gift of a book to someone you love.

As for me, I’m excited to take the next week off with Ellie and the kids and finally try to finish two books I’ve been working on: Drunk on All Your Strange New Worlds and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. If you’ve got any recommendations for what I should read next, let me know.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

JD JORDAN FOR GEORGIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 56

For anyone in East Cobb, Roswell, or Woodstock alarmed by the state’s escalating attacks on our bodies, our families, our doctors’ offices, our classrooms and libraries, even our polling places, I’m running for state senate district 56 to fight for our freedoms and to deliver a better future for everyone in Georgia.

And unlike my opponent who’s spent 14 years rolling back our freedoms, failing to safeguard our kids, and gerrymandered his district to stay in office, I promise to bring everyone in the 56—regardless of ideology—the best possible constituent experience so you feel heard, valued, and supported. As we all deserve to be.

I’m running for the 56. Let’s make a better Georgia for all of us.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jordan For Georgia, LLC
10800 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 208 #629
Roswell, GA 30076-1467

jdjordan@forthe56.com
706.804.0456