It’s not every day a librarian takes a boxcutter to a book.
But by doing so, Molly Riportella may be saving lives.
“I usually try to like go a couple pages after a chapter begins,” the Massachusetts librarian said, explaining what she why she was carefully hollowing out the books.
Inside the rectangle-shaped holes within the pages, Riportella hides a prepaid mobile phone to be used by a victim of domestic violence.
“The phone is a little sliver of hope and real chance to make contact with the outside world,” Riportella said.
“To talk to a lawyer or talk to an advocate who can get you the next steps to move on.”
The librarian came up with the idea two years ago when a friend told her they were in a controlling relationship where their partner was going through their phone, checking texts, social media and who they were calling.
“It’s so hard to narrow it down to what you actually need and what form you need and how do you fill out a restraining order and how do you get to court,” Riportella said.
“We put that in the phone.”
Riportella, who herself was in a troubled relationship years ago, has given away three Book-it 2 Freedom kits through word of mouth.
“I guarantee anyone watching this knows someone who needs help,” Riportella said.
She is hoping her idea can spread nationwide.
So far, Riportella has spent US $1200 ($1850) of her own money to fund the program she has named BiblioUnderground.
She hopes donations and word of mouth will allow it to expand to help more victims.
“Now that it’s started, I can’t stop now,” Riportella said.
“There’s too many people at risk that this could actually help.”