Such a great interview, thanks for sharing! I see so many LFLs around the Bay Area. I had never really thought about the origins of the community. I'm tempted to start one up myself now. I could see my (almost 3 year old) daughter getting into the concept of being a "little librarian" as she grows up and starts reading more.
We have one in our neighborhood in Auckland, New Zealand. Sometimes people over fill it with rubbish nobody wants, at other times there are gems in there. I've dropped a number of books in there and from time to time I've gone onto the community FB page and suggested a bit of a clean out, especially when it is overflowing and the consensus has been, thanks and go for it yourself. I'm slowly whittling down my books to collections of specific authors. So paying it forward with others :)
I have a bit of an LFL addiction. Cannot walk past one (and there are dozens in my Seattle neighborhood) without stopping. And I've donated hundreds over the years. It's a great thing.
One of the first items on my to-do list when my husband and I bought our house was GET A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY, but I haven’t done it...yet. They’re my favorite things in the whole world.
I'm going to sound like a horrible cynical suit here, but I have often thought that LFLs help raise property values in a neighborhood. :) Please don't hate me. I mean, yes, literacy and charm, yes., of course.
Annette, recently, a fixer-upper home in my neighborhood was rehabbed and "flipped." I found it amusing that one of the things they added in their renovations was a LFL!
Love this, and love, love, love Little Free Libraries, of course! (Shoutout to my fellow Wisconsinite Lexie, too.) My mom's LFL is adorable -- she has added a birdbath, and a hook for dog leashes and a box of dog treats to the post underneath the books. She gets a lot of foot traffic and her inventory turns over daily.
I have wanted one for years -- of course I want one -- but my neighborhood, too, is saturated with them, and I live on a dead-on street without a sidewalk so while there *is* foot traffic, it's not as heavy as it is a block away where people are going places, and walking is safer. I think I could differentiate by offering only children's books -- there are a lot of kids in the 15 or so houses immediately surrounding me ranging from babies to teenagers, but I worry that I'd be heartbroken if we built one, filled it up, and then no one used it...
Such a great interview, thanks for sharing! I see so many LFLs around the Bay Area. I had never really thought about the origins of the community. I'm tempted to start one up myself now. I could see my (almost 3 year old) daughter getting into the concept of being a "little librarian" as she grows up and starts reading more.
A little librarian sounds so cute!
We have one in our neighborhood in Auckland, New Zealand. Sometimes people over fill it with rubbish nobody wants, at other times there are gems in there. I've dropped a number of books in there and from time to time I've gone onto the community FB page and suggested a bit of a clean out, especially when it is overflowing and the consensus has been, thanks and go for it yourself. I'm slowly whittling down my books to collections of specific authors. So paying it forward with others :)
This is wonderful! 📚
I have a bit of an LFL addiction. Cannot walk past one (and there are dozens in my Seattle neighborhood) without stopping. And I've donated hundreds over the years. It's a great thing.
They help me not end up buried under a pile of books.
Exactly! Culling is important.
One of the first items on my to-do list when my husband and I bought our house was GET A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY, but I haven’t done it...yet. They’re my favorite things in the whole world.
You have time!
I've loved reading this! The redundant red telephone box in my village (in UK) is a tiny community library along the same lines - it's marvellous!
So cute!
I'm going to sound like a horrible cynical suit here, but I have often thought that LFLs help raise property values in a neighborhood. :) Please don't hate me. I mean, yes, literacy and charm, yes., of course.
Annette, recently, a fixer-upper home in my neighborhood was rehabbed and "flipped." I found it amusing that one of the things they added in their renovations was a LFL!
I KNEW IT! 😂
I love these, and I hope to start one of my own one day! Thanks for sharing this post.
Love this, and love, love, love Little Free Libraries, of course! (Shoutout to my fellow Wisconsinite Lexie, too.) My mom's LFL is adorable -- she has added a birdbath, and a hook for dog leashes and a box of dog treats to the post underneath the books. She gets a lot of foot traffic and her inventory turns over daily.
I have wanted one for years -- of course I want one -- but my neighborhood, too, is saturated with them, and I live on a dead-on street without a sidewalk so while there *is* foot traffic, it's not as heavy as it is a block away where people are going places, and walking is safer. I think I could differentiate by offering only children's books -- there are a lot of kids in the 15 or so houses immediately surrounding me ranging from babies to teenagers, but I worry that I'd be heartbroken if we built one, filled it up, and then no one used it...
I bet people would love children's books! I also want to visit your mom's. A spot for leashes! How great.
I'll try to remember to take a photo and share it with you the next time I am there... it really is very sweet.
Please do! The neighborhood dogs must love it. We have a coffeeshop with treats for dogs and Ellie walks me there all the time.
It's my dream to have a LFL of my own someday!
They are truly a great concept. There is one in the park where we walk and it receives a lot of attention.