Parker Knobeloch and his mother, Marlene, load up their new little library, housed in a former Butler Eagle newspaper box, with donated books at their Penn Township home.

PENN TWP — A repainted newspaper box filled with stories is one family's hope to help community members combat isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Marlene Knobeloch and her 8-year-old son, Parker, finished building the little library in their yard at 220 South Trail on Tuesday.

“It was just something to do for the community during this time at home,” Knobeloch said.

She and Parker placed books in a recycled newspaper dispenser, turning it into a tiny book repository.

The box is registered under the nonprofit organization Little Free Library, which helps people build small-scale libraries in their community. The organization's goal is to provide free, 24-7 access to books and reading materials.

“It started out with a call to the Butler Eagle to see if I could get my hands on a newspaper box,” Knobeloch said. “It was easy to get.”

Parker helped refurbish the box to its new purpose.

“I sandpapered the box,” he said. “I wiped the books and put the books out there. I also painted the bench (which is available for people to sit and read).”

An avid reader of “Dog Man,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Goosebumps,” Parker said wiping the books down meant sanitizing them to put people's minds at ease during the pandemic. He said the finished product looked nice.

“It's a rectangular box with a pyramid on the top for a roof,” he said. “It has a front window. You can see the books in the window.”

Knobeloch said the box is set in the front yard of her home, where her neighbors can take and leave books. She said to get the exchange started, she sought donations from multiple organizations, including local libraries.

She said currently the little library is fully stocked, and she has some excess book donations sitting on a shelf in her garage to replenish the first wave taken from the box.

“Reading is important,” Knobeloch said. “It's a way to release some stress and spend your mind on other things.”

The box is registered under charter number 103173 at www.littlefreelibrary.org and on the organization's phone application.