Little Free Libraries

             I am fortunate to be part of a community that has a fantastic public library system.  Not everyone can claim that.  Some people live in places that don’t have libraries at all.  It’s a sad state of affairs, which is why I’m thrilled that Little Free Libraries have become such a success.  Little houses of books sit on people’s lawns or in public places inviting those who pass by to either take a book or leave a book for someone else to enjoy.  The books are free and there aren’t any due dates.  Without operating hours, anyone can come by at any time of day and look for something to read.  In my neighborhood, so many Little Free Libraries are popping up that if I don’t see anything of interest in one library, I usually don’t have far to go before finding another one.  In many ways, the Little Free Libraries have become an adventure, as I come across libraries I have never seen before, constantly giving me something new to explore.

                Little Free Libraries has become so popular that there is even a book about them.  The Little Free Library Book by Margret Aldrich goes through the history of Little Free Libraries, as well as personal stories from those who run them and tips on how to manage a library successfully.  Throughout the book there are pictures of Little Free Libraries that have been created around the world.  These pictures are really fun to flip through.  There is so much creativity that goes into creating each and every house.  Even when the actual structure is the same as another, the decoration is so different that every library comes out unique.

                Another book that mentions the Little Free Libraries is Improbable Libraries: A Visual Journey to the World’s Most Unusual Libraries by Alex Johnson.  The Little Free Libraries are brought up in the “Tiny Libraries” section.  There are not many pictures of these libraries, but there are some.  Mostly the book talks about how the Little Free Libraries have spread around the world.  In fact, according to the book, these libraries have become so influential that they have inspired people to create similar, but different, projects for their communities. 

               After reading so much about these libraries, I’m even more excited to find new ones. The Little Free Library website (littlefreelibrary.org) has a map that I can look at to see where the libraries are located, but I think I’ll keep waiting to be surprised. For me it’s so much fun to suddenly come across a new library, especially if it’s in a place I never expected. I hope that keeps happening, because I would love to see the Little Free Libraries grow until every neighborhood has at least one. If every neighborhood were to have at least one Little Free Library, who knows what else may happen.