MASSENA -- Little Free Libraries built by Massena High School technology students will soon be placed in seven places around town.

At Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, Community Schools Coordinator Kristin Collarusso-Martin and technology teacher John Root showed off one of the structures and talked about what’s going on with the program.

Collarusso-Martin said the LFL program is “a movement happening across our country” where people build small structures where those who want to donate books can leave them, and anyone can take one for free. They have the choice to return it or keep it.

"People in their communities want to share their love of books and literacy for free, no strings attached,” she said.

She added that once installed, the little free libraries will be periodically checked “to make sure they’re filled with appropriate content.”

There will be seven added in Massena, one each at the Highland and St. Regis nursing homes, the Town Hall, J.W. Leary Junior High, the high school and Nightengale Elementary. Madison and Jefferson aren’t getting one because they already have book programs for their students.

Root said he tasked some of his students with coming up with designs for the tiny libraries “that resemble the North Country.” Each will be different.

"They came up with some to look like shipping crates that come through the locks, a school bus to put in front of the elementary school,” he said, in addition to the barn-shaped container he showed at the meeting.

Each has a glass panel on the front that will be laser-engraved with the new Spartan mascot.

People who want to donate books will be able to bring them to the Massena Public Library, the Baptist Church on Main Street or any Massena school.