At
first glance this small box on a post looks like a birdhouse or a mailbox. But
it’s neither of those; it’s a Little Free Library. If you look through the
glass on the small front door you’ll see books carefully tucked inside.
I
visited a Little Free Library (LFL) located in the Del Ray section of
Alexandria, Virginia. This artistic and vibrant neighborhood has a lot of
pedestrian activity--people walking to the nearby Farmer’s Market or shops and
restaurants--so it’s the perfect location for an LFL. The arts are celebrated
in this area and I’ve heard there is even a tall fence in the community with attached
bulletin boards for children and adults to pin their poetry.
The
Little Free Library movement began when Todd Bol created a wooden container
that looked like
According
to Wikipedia, Little Free Libraries are now in all 50 U.S. states. You might
spot them in front of houses, coffee shops, bus stops and churches. The beauty
of this tiny library is that it can fit almost anywhere. Accessible twenty-four
hours a day, there isn’t a fee or fine for an overdue book.
They
are also present in approximately 40 other countries such as Japan, India and
Qatar. Recently Little Free Libraries partnered with Books for Africa to send
thousands of books and 2,000 Libraries to Africa over the next few years.
How
do you get and maintain your own LFL? Well, you can build one or order a custom
Library from the Little Free Library website. Each is unique, ranging from
simple to elaborate and can be considered “a piece of neighborhood art.” You
can paint it or have it custom painted to look like, for example, an old
schoolhouse, a garden, or jazz club.
Stewards
(volunteer caretakers) are in charge of libraries and decide what type of books
to stock. Some stewards choose a mix of books while others prefer a “carefully
curated collection.” Examples of collections are: children’s books, mysteries,
gardening, cooking, history, cultural books, health and wellness.
If
authors would like to donate a book, the protocol is to leave an autographed
copy in a LFL near you. You can find one by going to: http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/ and clicking on
the Little Free Library Map of the World.
What books would you have in your Library?
What kind of things do people in your community do to promote literary
arts?
Kara,what a terrific idea! I think mine would contain mysteries and children's books. Our office has a book repository where people can bring books they want to share with others. I've learned about a number of authors through that resource!
ReplyDeleteWhat books would be a problem since there is little space. I could envision a children's library if the post were a bit shorter. This is an amazing idea. Do they have any problems with pilfering?
ReplyDeleteMy community has a wonderful large library that the county sponsors. Privately we have a community theater, a choir and sports teams.
This was news to me. I know people who read books and then give them away, either to friends or leave them on park benches and the like for whomever wants to pick it up and read it.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to do this up north, I would only have hunters and the occasional lost soul as customers. Down south, I'd be breaking the condo association rules.
Alas.
~ Jim
Kara, these are adorable! What a great idea - just magical. I would love to get one and plunk it outside my beach house (someday, when I get a beach house!) and fill it with fun paperbacks.
ReplyDeleteMy community is a large county with lots of offerings. They are cutting back funding to the library system, however - shortsighted, in my opinion. I think grassroots projects like the Little Free Libraries show what is truly important to people, and it's good to know how much people still value books.
Paula, your office book repository sounds like a good way to share books and learn about new authors.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fantastic idea! I know that would go over quite well in my little college town.
ReplyDeleteE.B., I don't know about pilfering but there are scattered incidences of vandalism. They have a fact sheet about how to prevent vandalism--don't locate your LFL near a sports arena--and how to engage the community to keep it safe.
ReplyDeleteJim, I couldn't do this either due to homeowner rules but it's a clever idea for someone in the right area. On the map of Libraries I noticed that some LFLs are in front of offices or stores. One was a woodworking store with a Library containing woodworking books.
ReplyDeleteShari, I like your idea of a beach house with a Library in front filled with paperbacks!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good way for people to have access to books even when their local libraries cut funding or in areas without a strong library system.
I bet that idea would be welcome in a college town, Sarah. I can see them filled with books about specific subjects like art history or astronomy. Also, books about how to make healthy food choices could be useful for college students.
ReplyDeleteKara, I think this is a wonderful idea. I was telling the owner of a local book store I frequently go to for used books. She was excited when I told her about it and said she'd seen in in a small town she'd visited somewhere on vacation once. I told her about your blog, and now I need to tell her what day you posted this. She'd like to make one and put it up somewhere.
ReplyDeleteTraffic hurries by too fast in front of my house so it wouldn't make sense to put one out, especially since the snowplow gets my mailbox at least once a year and usually more often than that.
What a great idea. This was new to me.
ReplyDeleteGloria, how great that your local book store owner wants to make and put up a Library. I'd like to hear about her experience.
ReplyDeleteWarren, this was a new and exciting idea to me, too.