Bath has joined several thousand communities in all 50 states and more than 30 countries with the creation of a Little Free Library.

Located in Keystone Park, the library is the work of Junior Girl Scouts Nicole Hanna, Katlin Beenders, Jada Johnson and Katelyn Unangst, all of Bath. They undertook the project for their Bronze Award, the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can earn.

In earning a Bronze Award, Girl Scouts are encouraged to explore their community, meet new people and take action to make a positive difference in the world.

The library, designed similarly to a mailbox, has a simple concept behind it – take a book, leave a book.

Books, including some donated from the Northampton Area Public Library, are there for community members to take and even to keep.

Books are also donated by community members.

The girls hope that the Little Free Library will help promote literacy and reading for children.

The actual construction of the library was done by John Hoff, a furniture maker in Northampton, who cut the pieces for the girls. They painted and assembled the entire structure on their own, using money earned from their cookie sales.

The girls attended council meetings to get approval for their project. They chose the Keystone Park because of the many children living nearby.

Terri Schmoyer, the leader of Troop 8219, will monitor and refill the Little Free Library weekly. She hopes it will be a success.

"We're thinking of expanding it," Schmoyer said.

They hope to add benches by the Library in the future, she added.