Have you ever heard of a Little Free Library? Little Free Library is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 that strives to empower communities by expanding book access through book exchange boxes. Meaning whenever you see a Little Free Library, you can either take a book, donate a book or both! There isn’t a set borrow time, or limit to the amount of books that can be taken. Also, a kid doesn’t need to return a book that they really enjoy. Instead, kids are encourage to replace the book with another to keep the library full for upcoming visitors.
During the pandemic, we visited many Little Free Libraries since many public libraries had restricted regulations. My family enjoyed looking and discovered unique and familiar titles. After moving from Columbus, our family decided to establish a Little Free Library in our new neighborhood.
Pre-built Little Library kits are available for quick and easy assembly, however, I knew I wanted a unique look and feel for our library. Many Little Free Library owners either construct ones from scratch or use a pre-built one. After reading more blogs, I discovered that instead of constructing one from scratch, I should use an already assembled cabinet as my frame and built the library from it.
I searched Facebook Marketplace and found an old cabinet for sale. With the help of family, we transformed the cabinet into a Little Free Library by adding a roof, plexiglass, doorknob, removable wallpaper.
Many Little Free Libraries are secured to the ground with cement to keep the post in place. I wanted our Little Library to be secured into the ground, but have the ability to be moved- if needed. My BIL secured our post in the ground using a post master and we placed a flower pot around the base to plant seasonal flowers.
Why you should consider a Little Free Library.
Have you considered building a Little Free Library and didn’t know where to start? Here are a few reasons why building a Little Library might be in your future:
Sharing Books with Others– If you have a large collection of books, consider a little library to house your overflow collection. Our kids receive books for birthday parties, seasonal events and Christmas.
Build a Literacy Friendly Neighborhood– Your library is working when you notice books gone or seeing kids gathering around your library reading books. The evening of our grand opening, I noticed 3 middle school-aged boys sitting on the sidewalk in front of our library with another boy standing next to our library reading to the boys on the sidewalk.
Meet your Neighbors– Our Little Library has been up for less than one week and we’ve already stopped and talked to many people walking by. Our neighbors have been so excited to have their kids, grandkids and love ones stop and grab a book! We even had an elderly woman stop and offer to purchase brand new books for our library.
Spread the News- Do you enjoy sharing great books? Consider starting a Little Library and sharing your new finds on a social channel, text thread or creating a neighborhood newsletter to inform your readers about the new items inside your library.
How to build your own Little Free Library.
If you’ve wanted to build one but didn’t know where to start, these tips will help you begin:
- Register your Little Free Library…or don’t: There are benefits available for registering your library including making it easier for people to find your library on the Library Map. You also can receive a cute charter sign with your identifying number for your Little Library! We chose not to register our Little Free Library because your name and address are searchable on the database and I wanted to protect that information due to my little ones.
- Chose your Library Location: Make sure you are legally and safely able to install your library at the location of your choosing. You area should have adequate food traffic. Also, be sure to appoint a librarian for your library whose job is to care and clean your library.
- Construct and Design your Library: Will you purchase a Little Free Library kit? Construct from scratch? Keep in mind, your library will be outdoors so you will need to ensure it’s weatherproof to withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures.
- Educate Others about your Little Library: There are a few options to education people about your new library. Holding a Grand Opening is a great way to explain your library. Also, there are plenty of signage that you can place on or around your library to explain the concept of your new library.
- Stock Your Library: Decide what types of books your library will contain. Our library contains kid-friendly reads and will be sprinkled with seasonal reads throughout the year! Here are some of our favorite items to get your Little Library started.
How to Find Little Free Libraries in your area?
If you want to visit more Little Free Libraries, there’s a library nearby, search the Little Free Library Map. Click on your location and zoom in on the map until you reach your area. You can also search by zip code, city, state, or library name. Visit a few and see what you think!
