Little Free Libraries! Such a Grand Idea!

I will never forget going to the Coeur d’Alene Public Library when I was a kid.  In the 1970’s the library was on the corner of 7^th and Lakeside, in what is now the Harris Dean Insurance Agency building.  I remember the smell of the building – the sweet smell of ink and paper, wood and furniture polish – the creak of the wood floors, and climbing the grand staircase to the children’s section.  I loved the way the books were covered with glossy plastic to prolong the life of the dust jackets, I loved the potted plants that lined the window sills, and I loved the feeling of quiet and peace that enveloped me when I stepped inside the door.  I loved looking at the names written on the cards tucked into little envelopes inside the cover.  I would wonder about the people who had read the books before me, and I knew that one day someone would see my name written inside – albeit in shaky, less-than-lovely handwriting.   I absolutely got butterflies in my stomach when we visited the library.  I would check out as many books as I was allowed, and when I got home I would read and reread them several times before they had to go into the return slot.  But returning the books meant I could ascend the wide staircase to comb the shelves once again.   


Examples of Little Free Libraries from the official website.

This week I happened to open the newspaper in the staff lounge, and after perusing the headlines I found American Profile, the supplemental magazine that occasionally is included with the newspaper.  The featured story, “Little Free Library:  Sharing Books, Building Community,” gave me those familiar butterflies of my library-loving youth.  The Little Free Library “movement” started in 2009, when Todd Bol built a mini library that looked like a school house in honor of his mother.  He put the schoolhouse in his front lawn with a sign that stated, “Take a book.  Return a book.”  His neighbors discovered the literary offering, and Bol soon found that he had a lot of traffic to his schoolhouse library.  Others began making their own little libraries, and soon they began popping up elsewhere.  Like large, whimsical birdhouses, the Little Free Library housed not happy robins or sparrow, but books. 

I’ve decided I want to join a cool endeavor like this, and anyone can do it.  In fact, you can visit the website (http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/index.html) to learn how to officially join the movement.  But you can also just build your own little library, plant it in the ground, post a sign, and watch people discover the joy of reading and sharing books with others.  I have visions of people finding little book treasures when they open the door to see what’s inside.  I imagine someone falling so in love with a book they borrowed from the library that they must adopt it to live on their own bookshelf, and so she has to buy a new book to take its place in the little library.  I picture leaving little notes inside the book for the next reader to find.  To be honest, the thought of creating my own Little Free Library gives me butterflies!