Candy Slowik would be happy to see a library in nearly every neighborhood.

In fact, she recently opened a free library in front of her home on Southwest Erie Street, where the policy is “take a book, leave a book.”

Little Free Libraries is a movement that started in 2009 by Todd Bol and Rick Brooks of Wisconsin, with a mission to promote literacy and a love of reading.

Slowik said she learned about the concept when she visited Seattle with her grandchildren, who took pleasure in showing her the various free libraries in their area.

“I just thought it was a really, really neat concept in Seattle,” she said.

She’s hoping the idea will take off in Oak Harbor.

As of right now, Slowik said hers is only one of two pocket libraries in Oak Harbor, the other being in the Whidbey Country Club parking lot.

“I just thought if people would get out and think about making these things, that it would be fun for the neighborhood,” she said.

Bob and Rhonda Severns are also working towards opening a pocket library in Oak Harbor, inspired by the statue in Windjammer Park dedicated to three teachers, as well as other pocket libraries Bob Severns saw in North Seattle.

“I think the opportunity to read, and learn from that, is one of the best things we can do, no matter what age group,” Bob Severns said. He’s planning on working with an Eagle Scout to design and build the library, which, when completed, will be placed near the teachers’ statue in Windjammer Park.

He’s hoping to get it done within a couple of months. As of January 2014, the Little Free Library website estimated about 15,000 free libraries worldwide, including countries like Uganda, Pakistan, Lithuana and so many more.

She opened hers about two weeks ago in front of her Candy Land Day Care, located at 746 SE Erie Street. It has since attracted the attention of passersby, as well as the attention of the children who attend her day care.

“I have a lot of my day care kids … come up on their way home and grab a book,” Slowik said, “and then bring one from their house.”

Currently, Slowik’s pocket library stocks books ranging in age groups form children to adult, and she said that people are welcome to stop by to find a book, and to even sit on the nearby bricks to read.

“I think reading is important,” Slowik said. “There’s nothing better than reading.”