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By MacKenzie Moody

WOODLAND – A Woodland family celebrates their late sister by dedicating a new Little Free Library in her honor.

In a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sheila P. Moses and PETA representatives joined the family of Margaret Burgwyn to unveil the new Little Free Library dedicated to her. It is the tenth location in Moses’ Northampton County Little Free Library Project. It is also the third little library that PETA has donated.

With the mission of providing books to every family in the county, this specific library will include books for all ages. It is located outside the Woodland-Olney Apartments and near a Head Start office.

The books provided by the Burgwyn family and PETA’s Barks and Books program include messages of compassion for animals. Margaret Burgwyn was passionate about her community and devoted her life to education. Her family emphasized her strong love and care for all animals.

“What better way to honor her and to say I love you than to put this in honor of her with her name and for people to put books in it daily or weekly,” said Moses during the ceremony.

Margaret has two younger sisters, Anna and Molly, who are proud of the work Moses and PETA have done to honor their sibling. They both believe Margaret would be thrilled to be remembered in this way.

“With the Head Start being right here…I think it’s the perfect spot. The school meant a lot to her, and Woodland meant a lot to her. She cared about everybody. She would be very pleased,” said Molly, the youngest of the two surviving sisters.

The ceremony honored Margaret’s work in education, mentioning her time as an elementary school counselor in Northampton County Schools. Later in life, she served as mayor and town commissioner in Woodland.

“Northampton County is probably one of the most, unfortunately, still somewhat segregated. Margaret was one of those people who was not having that. She saw no color. She brought people together. If she had a book for one, she had a book for all,” said Moses.

According to her family, Margaret believed education was the most powerful tool in the world for children.

“Reading is a lifelong hobby; somebody can’t take that away from you. That’s one thing that stays with you forever,” said Margaret’s sister, Anna.

If you want to donate or pick up a book from the Little Free Library in memory of Margaret Burgwyn, head to 507 W. Main St., Woodland, NC, in front of the Woodland-Olney Apartments.