Swampscott Girl Scout Troop 70359 will install two Little Free Libraries throughout town.

Sixth graders Emma Crehan, Grace Crehan, Reagan Kench, Hannah Hockert and Savannah Schultz presented the idea for the Little Free Libraries during Wednesday’s Select Board meeting. The proposed locations are Clarke School and Phillips Park. The Select Board supported the proposal.

“We are asking permission to do our Silver Award project,” Savannah said, adding that the award encourages sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade Girl Scouts to “address problems in their community.”

The girls said they hope to address limited access to books and promote literacy in the community. The Girl Scouts plan to collect books at the Farmers Market and host story times there.

“We are trying to solve this problem by creating Little Free Libraries,” Hannah said. “This allows people to give and get books.”

The five girls plan to build the libraries through an after-school carpentry club next year. Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta told the girls he would install the libraries as well.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The organization aims to inspire readers and expand access to books. Its program operates as a “take a book, share a book” exchange.

More than 30 million adults cannot read or write above a third-grade level, according to Little Free Library. Studies have shown that access to books improves literacy, particularly when books are readily available to children. There are more than 200,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide working toward that goal.

“I think it’s a great idea, and I definitely think we need more of the little libraries,” said Select Board Member Danielle Leonard. “They’re so popular, and there’s never enough. I always want to put things in there and there’s not enough room. I think we could certainly use Phillips Park. That’s a really great idea. That’s a great location. This is very cool.”