Contact: Laurie Ruberg
Email: LFRuberg@gmial.com or Cell: 304-639-3894
On Thursday July 23, 2026, at 1:30 pm the East Wheeling Little Library will celebrate its official opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This little free library serves as a community book exchange box that everyone is free to use. The slogan for this as well as all little free libraries is Take a book – Leave a book as all visitors are encouraged to take books home to enjoy. It is up to everyone to keep little free libraries full, but the East Wheeling Little Library has some start-up help from community partners.
The East Wheeling Little Library is a collaborative project led by five local partners. The project received start-up funding from a Wheeling Heritage Partnership Grant in its May funding cycle. Laurie Ruberg, CEO of PLANTS, LLC, initiated the grant submission and serves as the East Wheeling Little Library project leader and organizer of the weekly book features and events. Ruberg is also the volunteer Girl Scout Troop #10467 leader and is facilitating the Scouts involvement in this community service project.
Maria Miller, co-owner of Neely’s Grocery (who is also an English teacher at The Linsly School), agreed to host the little library in front of her popular, neighborhood store. Maria is an enthusiastic supporter of the East Wheeling Little Library and organizes lunch specials that build off of the books featured weekly. Neely’s partnership has also led to Ms. Miller creating a cozy book nook inside Neely’s store where the featured book of the week can be read.
Tessa Weisenborn, executive director of Laughlin Memorial Chapel , offers facility space and collaboration on youth programming. Girl Scout Troop 10467 meets weekly throughout the academic year in the Laughlin Chapel facility and Ms. Weisenborn has invited the East Wheeling Little Library team to use Laughlin as a host for the project’s capstone presentation by local youth who have participated in the project.
The Ohio County Public Library director of youth services, Carrie Leib, and her staff have helped recommend books and related local speakers for the East Wheeling Little Library book features. As a key partner, the Ohio County Public Library will be helping to initiate a series of literacy engagement activities for youth and families that help promote books featured in the little library such as the Hydroponics for Home and School Gardens Workshop led by PLANTS LLC that will be offered for youth and families on Tuesday August 11 from 1 to 3 pm at the library.
The book featured for the July 23, 2026, ribbon-cutting ceremony will be 12 Children Who Changed the World by Kenya McCullum. The AmeriCorps mentors serving as literacy mentors with the Laughlin Chapel Energy Express Program and the Energy Express Director Karla Wood as well as the community outreach coordinator, Darlene Stradwick will guide Girl Scout Troop 10467 to do selected readings for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
We are hopeful that the East Wheeling Little Library will inspire reading, strengthen community relations, and provide a new easy to access location for small group gatherings for the East Wheeling area. We hope you will join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 1:30pm.
Follow weekly book features and special events hosted by the East Wheeling Little Library on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eastwheelinglittlelibrary.
