As we enter the homestretch on Kickstarter, here’s an email we sent to our friends asking for help. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has joined us thus far, at all levels and in different ways, to help build the Uni. Onward!

Dear Friends,
Sam and I have two weeks left to raise funds to launch our next project called the Uni, a portable reading room for public space. We’re fundraising on Kickstarter, which is a new, all-or-nothing fundraising platform, so we’ll be funded only if people collectively pledge our launch amount by August 15. We’ve got 130+ terrific backers and are only $7,000 away from our goal. Please jump in if you like our idea.

The Uni is more than just books on a street corner, it is a way for communities to take a stand about what we see around us at street level. The lightweight infrastructure carves out space to bring people together around books and learning. It creates an oasis for kids and adults alike. Walking home from school or work, the Uni will be a place to discover a book, hear a talk, get or give homework help, and feel there is something out there beyond shopping and consuming. If we had small libraries on our street corners instead of McDonalds, we wouldn’t need the Uni. Until then, this is what Sam and I will be working on.

Pledge on Kickstarter and become a founding contributor:

Read our latest project update:

https://www.streetlab.org/2011/07/two-weeks-in/

Thanks very much,
Leslie and Sam

The base of the Uni is coming together in the MIT Shop yard