Photo courtesy of Kristen Berthiamue
Kristen Berthiamue, right, and her family launched the Antiracist Little Free Library to increase understanding and raise racial-violence awareness following the murder of George Floyd.
The Little Free Library (LFL) nonprofit organization is pleased to present Kristen Berthiaume of Homewood, Alabama with the 2025 Todd H. Bol Award for Outstanding Achievement. This award honors extraordinary individuals who embody LFL’s mission to build community, inspire readers and expand book access for all.
“It is a privilege to recognize Kristen Berthiaume as one of this year’s winners of the Todd H. Bol Award for Outstanding Achievement,” said LFL Executive Director Greig Metzger. “Her volunteer efforts exemplify the vision of the late founder of Little Free Library, Todd Bol, to engage communities and enrich lives through the power of shared books.”
Berthiaume and her family launched the Antiracist Little Free Library, located on Clermont Drive, to increase understanding and raise racial-violence awareness following the murder of George Floyd.
“Often, when I tell people my family has a Little Free Library with the word ‘Antiracist’ in its name, they are very surprised to learn we’re located in Alabama,” said Berthiaume. “Friends have expressed worry for our safety and have asked about negative feedback or anger from neighbors. Fortunately, we’ve gotten almost exclusively positive comments and ‘thank yous’ from people online and passing by.”
Photo courtesy of Kristen Berthiamue
Kristen Berthiamue, right, and her family launched the Antiracist Little Free Library to increase understanding and raise racial-violence awareness following the murder of George Floyd.
The Antiracist Little Free Library has experienced the hardship of being cleaned out of all books, but Berthiaume was heartened by the quick, supportive response from her community.
“We believe strongly in the power of education and self-reflection to help us develop empathy, grow in understanding of ourselves and the world around us, and provide a pathway towards a more racially just future,” she said.
The Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement are named for LFL’s founder, Todd Bol, who created the first Little Free Library book-sharing box in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin, and passed away unexpectedly in 2018. This is the seventh year the awards have been presented.
