PORT EWEN, N.Y. — Residents of Esopus, Kingston, and New Paltz may have noticed some new, rather unconventional tiny libraries appearing in local community spaces.
Installed with a grant from "The Field," a Manhattan-based organization, the five tiny libraries were all constructed by area artists.
All of them are just so wonderful," said Nina Nichols, a local artist and member of the Esopus Town Environmental Board who coordinated the project, in an interview. "This project came along and they all went so hard on it.
The term "library" is used rather loosely, as participating artists were encouraged to be as creative as they wanted. For example, Hudson-based artist Dinah Gumbs' library, dubbed "The Worm Church," dispenses moss and seeds from the Connelly Community Garden in James Reiker Park.
"You can come and leave plants and seeds and take plants and seeds," Nichols said.
Gumbs interprets her library as a portal connecting the deep earth and the living world.
The Kingston Land Trust's Red Fox Ravine, located off Wilbur Avenue in Kingston, is home to the "Library of Magical Objects," crafted by local artist Cal Trumann. Trumann manages the grounds for The Rêve, a trans- and people of color-led collective house and community sanctuary located outside of Kingston.
Constructed primarily out of wood pieces reclaimed from damaged and discarded furniture, the library is home to natural items like stones and fossils, as well as zines and tarot cards.
"They left some interesting stones inside, and you can come and leave objects of importance to you," Nichols said.
Another library in Kingston, "Baba Yaga's Little Free Library," sits in the Kingston Land Trust Forest Preserve. Crafted by artists Aurora Brush and Sam Goldberg, the library is inspired by the Slavic folk character Baba Yaga, a trickster, healer, and witch who dwells in a house that walks on chicken legs.
The library will be maintained by Cosmic Dog House Press, which regularly stocks it with zines, used books, seeds, art supplies, and other items from Hudson Valley creators and collaborators.
Another seed library sits outside the Unison Art Center in New Paltz. Constructed by Kingston-based artist Kai Navarrete, the library offers seeds, plant cuttings, and small gifts donated by local residents, all free to take, grow, and share.
Navarrete mainly works with tile, wood, and found objects.
"Kai printed all this seed-embedded paper to put in there," Nichols said. "Those flew off the shelves," Nichols said.
Outside the Town of Esopus Library in Port Ewen is artist Langston Williams' Star Wars-inspired AT-AT Walker Library. Two doors on the side of the AT-AT open to reveal a variety of books donated by members of the community. Locals are encouraged to take a book and leave a book.
Williams' library also serves as a bulletin board.
We're all on our phones, we're on the internet, we're so hyper-focused on everything else," Williams said in an interview. "I grew up in a time where I had to read books to learn. I had to look at words and put them together to make sentences.
People don't do that anymore," Williams added. "It's instant gratification.
I like robotics, I like technology," Williams said when asked why he chose a Star Wars theme. "Even though it's kind of a bad guy creature, I liked it. I just thought it was so cool.
Williams said he hopes the library continues to be a place for the community to come together.
"I want to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem," he said.
© 2025 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y. Visit www.newsrealtime . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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