Kohn Brothers Receive Little Free Library’s Award for Outstanding Achievement

The Little Free Library (LFL) nonprofit organization has presented Asher and Zane Kohn with the 2022 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 Asher and Zane as one of this year’s winners of the Todd H. Bol Award for Outstanding Achievement,” said LFL Executive Director Greig Metzger. “Their 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. Through their effort, Asher and Zane have made their community a better place to be.”

After their local public library installed five Little Free Libraries around town, Asher and Zane Kohn started the “Diverse Books Teach Tolerance” project. The brothers use Little Free Libraries to distribute free books by diverse authors or about the experiences of diverse groups. Every month, they share a new selection of books for child, teen, and adult readers. Each diverse book has a sticker, QR code, and a bookmark that explains the Diverse Books Teach Tolerance program. Asher and Zane are Little Free Library stewards themselves and have even started an Action Book Club. Their motto? “Building a Better Community, One Book at a Time.”

“Volunteering as stewards and running the Diverse Books Teach Tolerance program make us feel a part of something that is bigger than ourselves,” said Asher and Zane. “We think that Little Free Libraries are a great way for teens to get involved in their communities and we hope our experience will inspire other teens around the country to start diverse books projects in their hometowns.”

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 fourth year the awards have been presented.

Read more about this year’s winners and see their photos at LittleFreeLibrary.org/todd-bol-awards.