Want to nurture the relationship between your rental property and the rest of the block and promote literacy at the same time?
The Little Free Library Project might be just the thing you’re looking for. Little Free Libraries (LFL) are popping up all over the country – and even as far away as Germany, Ghana and Afghanistan.
In the spirit of “take a penny, leave a penny,” LFLs house books that anyone can browse or borrow or keep for free. There’s no recordkeeping, and no obligation to return the books — ever. Of course, the system depends upon folks replenishing the stock by donating books they no longer want from their own collections.
A typical LFL is a simple cabinet-type box decorated and customized as the builder sees fit and outfitted with a sturdy roof and door to protect books from the elements.
There’s one in front of my friend Sage’s house that I enjoy browsing. But it’s the act of donating that thrills me. Without a librarian on hand, adding books to the collection feels somehow impish and covert. The last time I made a drop at the box, I did so under cover of darkness. In went the Adventures of Tom Sawyer in paperback, along with a handful of health and wellness books. With my trench coat pulled tight, I quickly made my way back to the car and drove off.
A small library that operates on honesty and sharing amongst neighbors is close kin to the principles of a community garden, which is why our neighborhood community garden is kicking around the idea of installing an LFL featuring gardening books. And personally, I’ve got plans to build one for my own boulevard that houses children’s books with the long-range goal of organizing and hosting a weekly reading party for neighborhood kids on my front lawn.
Consider the positive impact of a Little Free Library:
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