by Kathryn Cross
By day, Jackie Soliman is a student and avid tennis player; by night, a philanthropic librarian–until Sunday night, when the street-side library was stolen.
This past summer, the 15-year-old Mira Costa freshman decided to provide the South Bay with another literary outlet when she heard that the Manhattan Beach library was closing due to construction.
“I saw another box with books for the neighborhood in a remote area and I thought since the Manhattan Beach library was going under construction, it would be cool to make my own [library],” she said. “So, my Dad and I built a bookshelf with some old wood and I painted it red.”
Soliman’s book exchange, known as the Corner Library, initially only featured three of her childhood books with a sign that said “Take one, leave one, enjoy!” However, as the neighborhood became more aware about what she was building, others began to contribute to her library as well.
“I have received letters, books, and even some donations,” she said. “I got a few dollars and this one letter that said, ‘Thank you for the library. My kids love it,’ and another just gave some advice on running it.”
Despite its community popularity, the Corner Library has been targeted three times. Two attempted robberies were prevented by a neighbor and then a mailman. On Sunday night, a thief again stole the red bookshelf. The books were left on the ground across the street from Soliman’s home, where the library usually resides.
“ My daughter was stunned and sad because she had thought people would respect an item designed for the community good,” Janet Soliman-Suard said. “Now, she has an unfortunate lesson that people are not all good and can steal a child’s dream.”
Despite the minor setback, Soliman hopes to continue with her passion for philanthropy and bettering her community.
“I’m not specifically worried about getting it back because the family that took it had to be pretty bad off to steal some old book shelf, so I’m just worried about hopefully getting a new one soon,” she said.
When the bookshelf is replaced, the Corner Library will be up and running again. As usual, the Corner Library will welcome any book donations, ranging in any genres.
