Little Free Library at Grace Episcopal Church, Madison, WI

10/23/2025

Happy 8th Anniversary to our Little Free Library at Grace Episcopal Church!
Eight years ago today, we installed and dedicated our Little Free Library, and what a gift it has been ever since! I’m so grateful for this small but mighty ministry that has shared thousands of books with parishioners, downtown workers, tourists, Madisonians, and anyone strolling past Grace on the Capitol Square.

Though the LFL is currently down during the church roof project and upcoming landscaping work, it will be back and better than ever this spring! Our original library weathered many seasons before it began to fall apart, but we’ve learned a lot—and our new, sturdier library is ready to keep spreading the joy of reading for years to come.

A heartfelt thank-you to Mary Ann Nanassy, who beautifully painted both library boxes; Wolfgang Werk, who installed and maintains it; Barb Karlen, for her ongoing support, encouragement, and help in stocking books; and all the wonderful volunteers who’ve kept it filled with stories over the years.

Here’s to eight incredible years of sharing books, building connections, and spreading kindness—one story at a time.

04/29/2025

04/21/2025

Little Free Library Update 📚

If you’re walking by Grace Church and hoping to visit our Little Free Library, you’ll notice it’s temporarily down. Construction begins on Grace’s roof next week, and Bachmann has asked us to remove the LFL for safety reasons while scaffolding and fencing are in place. The project is expected to continue through the end of the year, so the Little Free Library will return in the spring of 2026.

If you’re a parishioner at Grace, you still have access to the books! Feel free to take any books from the bookcase under the staircase near the Carroll Street entrance—that’s where we store books for restocking the LFL.

We’ll continue collecting books while the LFL is down. You’re welcome to place donations in the bin at the back of the church or the bin next to the bookcase under the staircase. If you have a larger donation, please contact Pat Werk at [email protected] or 608-213-7558.

Thanks for your support, and happy reading!

02/07/2025

To celebrate Valentine's Day during the month of February, I have wrapped up books to invite people to try a “ blind date with a book.”

12/20/2024

11/22/2024

Check out our NEW Little Free Library, showcasing its charm from every angle! I’m so proud and incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. Here’s to many more years of sharing books and knowledge with the downtown Madison community—cheers to the next 7 years and beyond! 📚✨

11/11/2024

New Little Free Library Dedication Marks a New Chapter for Our Community

On Sunday, November 10, immediately following the 10 a.m. service, we gathered to celebrate the dedication of our new Little Free Library (LFL). Fr. Jonathan blessed the library with holy water to signify its mission of sharing knowledge and fostering community. After the dedication, we continued the celebration in the Guild Hall with a lively, book-themed coffee hour where food was matched with book titles.

This project involved contributions from many dedicated members of our community. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone who played a role in making this beautiful new library a reality:
• Gay Huenink, Jean Gohlke, Brad Simonson, and Barb Karlen are the weekly volunteers who stock the Little Free Library with books.
• Francine Hartman and Chris DeMarco, thank you for donating a desk to stamp new books as they arrive.
• Steve Holmes, thank you for dedicating about 40 hours to building this impressive library from the redwood donated by Wolfgang. Steve's skilled design significantly upgrades the original LFL we installed seven years ago.
• Mary Ann Nanassy for painting the Little Free Library to beautifully match our church, using multiple layers of paint for added detail and durability.
• Wolfgang Werk is responsible for carefully completing the project, such as installing the fan, light, and stained-glass windows and adding caulking to make the library more waterproof and enduring.
• Deb Barber and Barb Karlen for their exceptionally generous donations, which covered the cost of building materials and ensured that this project could be completed with quality and care.
• Gay Huenink, Jean Gohlke and Bryan Wenc, Barb Karlen, Francine Hartman, Wolfgang Werk, and Mary Ann Nanassy contributed food to celebrate its dedication.
• All the parishioners who donate books, so the library remains stocked and vibrant for our downtown community.

This new Little Free Library is more than just a place for books; it represents our commitment to reaching out, creating connections, and sharing resources with those around us. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this new chapter possible. Thank you for being part of this outreach and community-building mission.
Thank you all,
Pat Werk

11/07/2024

Wolfgang is working hard to install stained glass windows and set up the electricity for our new Little Free Library at Grace.

Join us on Sunday, November 10, after the 10 a.m. service for a special dedication of this beautiful addition, followed by a book-themed coffee hour in the Guild Hall. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

09/28/2024

Woohoo! Stage 1 is done for the new little free library. The next step is for Wolfgang Werk to prime it before Mary Ann Nanassy paints it. Didn’t Steve Holmes do a fabulous job constructing it? Wolfgang donated three 1" x 10" x 18-foot redwood boards, so the little free library should last twice as long as the first one. Additionally, Wolfgang said Steve put 40+ hours into building this beautiful replica of Grace. It’s phenomenal, and I’m excited to replace our current one in the coming weeks.