Dunbar community gains new library thanks to local teen's passion

FORT MYERS, Fla. - One Fort Myers teen hopes her love for books can inspire other youth in the Dunbar community to expand their knowledge and chase their dreams.

15-year-old Lydia-Joi Holloways has been a bookworm for as long as she can remember.

“It started off because my dad used to read to me every night, and then eventually I was a good reader, and then I taught my brother how to read, and then reading has just always been important,” says Holloway.

So when she and her mom brainstormed an idea to create a free neighborhood library, Lydia-Joi knew she had to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“My mom brought the idea to me, because she said that there was a grant that I could apply for and have a little library. And at first I had no idea what it was, and then she showed me different examples of what it was. And I was like, Oh, that's pretty cool. So I filled out the grant, and it was a pretty long process, but I filled it out, and then a few months later, it got approved. And then after that, February 2, 2025, was the first opening, and it was supposed to be really small, and then we invited, like, the mayor and a whole bunch of city officials, and it turned into, like, this really big thing.”

Now, three libraries later, Lydia-Joi was surrounded by family, friends, and students to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Lydia-Joi’s Little Library in front of Franklin Park Elementary.

“To have this bookmobile right here on campus is actually amazing. You know, reading is a fundamental skill, and even if the school is closed, children will have the opportunity to just come up and pick a book and read,” says Franklin Park Elementary Principal Dr. Mia German.

Lydia-Joi’s mom, Autumn Holloway, says she couldn’t be more proud of her daughter.

“You don't have to be an adult to make a difference. You can start right now. No matter what age you are, if there's something that you're passionate about, go for it,” says Autumn Holloway.

Lydia-Joi believes this is just the beginning of conquering her dreams and hopes to continue sharing her passion for knowledge.

“I just want to host more literacy events and like actually being hands-on with helping kids learn how to read. Because I'm definitely providing the books, but it doesn't matter if they don't know how to read,” says Lydia-Joi.