Starting this summer, visitors to the Clinton Town Beach will have a free source of entertainment now that a second location for the Little Free Library has been installed.

Little Free Library is a non-profit organization that supplies people with books to read for free through small structures containing donated books around towns across the world.

The new structure was built by Nick Caprio, a student at The Morgan School entering his senior year, and his father Victor Caprio. As the owner of Caprio Homes, LLC, Victor Caprio’s expertise in building was relied upon to make sure the structure was built soundly.

Morgan School English teacher Eric Bergman, who first brought the Little Free Library concept to Clinton in 2015, said Nick Caprio “really took hold” of the project, volunteering himself and his father to build the new structure.

In 2015, Morgan School graduate Patrick O’Shea and his father built the first Little Free Library in Clinton’s Post Office Square adjacent Liberty Bank as a part of a gift from the class of 2015 seniors to the town.

Bergman anticipates the Little Free Libraries could be standing for “20 to 30 years” and so far, have required no maintenance.

According to its website, littlefreelibrary.org, “A Little Free Library is a ‘take a book, return a book’ free book exchange. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common version is a small wooden box of books. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share.”

The concept started in Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009 when Todd Bol built a replica school house on his front yard as a way to honor his mother who had been a school teacher. Bol filled the structure with books and the idea was off the ground. As of the last count in November 2016, there are more than 50,000 registered Little Free Libraries spanning all 50 states and 70 countries.

Bergman learned of the movement about three years ago.

“I was at the East Haven Trolley Museum and I noticed a strange structure,” Bergman said.

After researching the structure and realizing it was part of the Little Free Library, Bergman wanted to being the project to Clinton.

This new library is built on the town beach, where Bergman said “it’s a great idea for people at the beach to get off their phones all day and pick up a book.”

While Bergman said he has no issue with people reading online on their phones, he said part of the goal of the library is to “encourage old-fashioned reading out of a book.”

Bergman picked the first crop up books and magazines that had been donated and dropped them off at the new structure on June 17. Bergman said each library contains 40 to 50 books, covering an array of topics.

“I don’t want the books so cerebral people are turned off,” said Bergman, though he noted he didn’t want to just put in pop culture books for light reads.

Bergman said majority of the library right now is books he donated himself that he had found interesting. Members of the public are encouraged to contribute books to the library as well. In fact, Bergman used the first Little Free Library in Clinton as an incentive for his students.

“I give the kids extra credit if they take a photo of them donating to the library,” Bergman said.

Bergman said he drives by the structures every few weeks to check on the books. Bergman said so far there has been no issues with the structures so far. While it’s difficult to guess how many people are taking the books out to read, Bergman said he’d “like to think it’s a couple people a day.” Bergman said he’s had a few instances where he’s driven by to check and seen people looking in the structure.

To learn more about the Little Free Library or to find other locations, visit littlefreelibrary.org.