Little Free Library
Little Free Libraries are popping up all over. The Wall Street Journal proclaims, “Little Free Library is a Global Sensation!”According to the website littlefreelibrary.org:
“It all started with a sign that read, “FREE BOOKS.” Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library—a birdhouse-like book exchange—in his Hudson, Wisconsin, front yard in 2009 as a sweet tribute to his mother, a former teacher and lifelong reader. Five years later, there are more than 10,000 Little Free Libraries in 50 countries around the world.
The charming, two-foot by two-foot mini- libraries run on the honor-system mantra “Take a Book, Return a Book” and are stocked with something for everyone— from gardening guides to Russian novels to picture books. Beyond promoting literacy, Little Free Libraries spark a sense of community, too. When people pause on the sidewalk to browse a library, they are just as likely to strike up a conversation as they are to find their next great read.
“The reason Little Free Library has been successful is that people tell us, constantly, ‘I’ve met more neighbors in a week than I’ve met in 30 years,’” says Bol. “It engages and brings neighborhoods together, and folks talk to each other more than they ever have.”
By January of 2015, the total number of registered Little Free Libraries in the world was conservatively estimated to be nearly 25,000. By this January, 2016, the total number reached over 36,000.
“Quaint and compact, these handcrafted structures draw inspiration from a bygone era, when life seemed simpler, slower. Little Libraries, and the serendipitous discoveries they allow, defy a world over-awed by algorithms, apps and data…”
-Kathryn Stearns of Vermont Public Radio
If you are interested in starting one click here or if you want to find one in your area you can click here.
Little Free Libraries are a gift to any community. Gathering in your neighborhood to pick up, or leave a good book, or maybe just enjoy a chat with one of your neighbors as you browse the Little Free Library’s book selection, can only help to create more love, joy and abundance in your little corner of the world. Enjoy and read on!
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What an inspiring story!! I know a few people who could start such a library and decrease the surplus population of books in their own homes. This really is a precious idea and blesses everyone who uses it.