CHS student brings The Shared Shelf to Lexington

By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

When College of Health Sciences student Katie Neglia began thinking about The Shared Shelf, it started as a class assignment.

Now, the idea has become a permanent resource for families visiting The Arboretum.

Neglia, a junior Human Health Sciences major on the pre-med track with a minor in pharmacology, helped spearhead The Shared Shelf, a student-led initiative that combines two of her passions: books and health.

In August, a Little Free Library created through the project was installed at The Arboretum near the Kentucky Children’s Garden. The library provides free books for community members of all ages, along with educational resources focused on health, wellness, nature and conservation.

“The project combines two things I really care about: reading and health,” said Neglia, who also serves as a College of Health Sciences ambassador. “Through The Shared Shelf, we created a Little Free Library at the Arboretum where kids and families can take a book, leave a book, and find resources about health, wellness, nature and more.”

The Shared Shelf is a UK student organization dedicated to promoting literacy and a love for reading throughout the Lexington community.

For Neglia, the project began taking shape in December 2025, when she wrote a paper about the Little Free Library movement for CLM 323, Social Determinants of Health, taught by Dr. Brendan O’Farrell.

What began as an academic exercise soon became an opportunity to put those ideas into practice.

“To see my ideas come to life has been extremely rewarding and empowering,” Neglia said.

The project reflects an important principle Neglia encountered through her studies in the College of Health Sciences: Health is shaped by much more than what happens in a doctor's office.

Access to educational resources, opportunities for learning and the environments in which people live and grow all can influence health and well-being.

Neglia hopes The Shared Shelf can make both books and health information more accessible in a simple, welcoming way.

“I loved reading as kid and have kept that passion with me today, so I hope to share the joy of reading with others,” she said.

The location at The Arboretum is especially fitting. Families already visiting the Kentucky Children’s Garden and surrounding grounds can encounter the library as part of their time outdoors, giving them an opportunity to discover a new book or resource along the way.

“It’s a small project, but I think having free resources in a space families already visit can make a real difference,” Neglia said.

And the impact of the project could extend well beyond Neglia’s time at UK.

“Knowing that people will be able to use it and that The Shared Shelf will be there even after I graduate from UK makes it even more rewarding,” she said.

Neglia and The Shared Shelf team are already looking toward the future.

“We’re hoping to grow The Shared Shelf, build more community partnerships, and build more little libraries at other locations around Kentucky,” Neglia said. “We want to especially focus on ‘book desert’ areas in the greater Kentucky area, because those are the populations that would benefit the most from greater access to books.”

Photo credit: Zoe Stefanic