About five years ago, I was leaving a local coffee shop and saw what looked to be a large birdhouse with a glass door, filled with books. I saw a plaque that said it was a Little Free Library and told me to “Take a book. Leave a book.” I didn’t have a book with me, so I just browsed the selection. I was surprised by the variety and quality; it had everything from picture books to modern classics, and most of them were books I was already familiar with.
Since finding the first one, at least 2 more Little Free Libraries have popped up in my small southern town — one in the park and one outside of the library. I loved the idea of it then, and I still love it today!
Little Free Library was established about 15 years ago “to share good books and bring communities together.”1 They’ve gone above and beyond since then, with new Little Free Libraries popping up all over the United States and even outside of it, providing 24/7 access to books for those nearby.
As I write this, I’m in my room surrounded by my 1,000+ book collection — I’ve been fortunate enough that access to books has never been an issue for me. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone. The time and money that it takes to acquire a book can be a discouragement for a lot of people, especially younger people that don’t have autonomous control over either. The public libraries across the country do fantastic work in reaching people and making reading accessible, but there are limitations to their reach because of location and open hours. Little Free Libraries help to fill in some of those gaps, making it more convenient for people to be able to get a book in their hand.
My love for literature started at a young age, to the point that my teachers were concerned about me because I would sit against the fence and read instead of playing with the other kids during recess. I recognize that I may be a bit odd, but I can’t say enough how big of an influence books have had on my life and wellbeing over the years. If you’re reading this, you might have a similar story. However, not everyone is reading at a young age.
25 million children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently, which prevents them from achieving success in school, participating in all areas of life, and realizing their dreams.2
No one thing is going to fix that number, but I think a lot of little things can add up to make a difference. For kids, having a Little Free Library within walking distance of their home could be the thing that enables them to fall in love with reading — or at least plants a seed to be watered later. It could just as easily have that effect on someone older.
Once the Little Free Library is installed, it’s up to the community to keep it going. It’s up to book lovers to share and encourage that love with the people around us.
If you don’t know of one already, you can find a Little Free Library near you using this map. If you’re able to, I’d encourage you to contribute to your local Little Free Library. I’m planning to start using and contributing to mine more!
Thank you for exploring with us! Until next time, may the pages and paths ahead of you be great.
- Little Free Library. (2023, August 14). The history of Little Free Library – Little Free Library. https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/history/ ↩︎
- Why Reading Matters – The U.S. Literacy Crisis. (n.d.). https://www.rif.org/why-reading-matters ↩︎
