Little Free Libraries Exhance Neighborhoods
I am keenly interested in neighborliness. I was exploring the topic on twitter and came across an article in the Denver Post about the Little Free Library movement. My husband saw a news story about it on the nightly news, too. What a genius idea!
Wikipedia defines Little Free Libraries as a “community movement worldwide that offers free books housed in small containers to members of the local community.” There are some 6000 Little Free Libraries located in all 50 states and in 40 countries around the world.
The idea is the brain child of Wisconsin resident Todd Bol, who mounted a wooden container designed to look like a school house on a post in his lawn as a tribute to his mother, a book lover and teacher. Most boxes bear a sign that reads “Take a Book. Leave a Book.” You can sign up to become an official Steward of a Little Free Library, and you can buy a Library in a wide variety of cute designs or you can create your own.
The concept has been so successful that there is now a nonprofit organization devoted to the movement. Check out their wonderful website www.LittleFreeLibrary.org. You can even find a map that shows the locations of Little Free Libraries in your area. The website describes Little Free Libraries as having “a unique, personal touch and there is an understanding that real people are sharing their favorite books with their community. These aren’t just any old books, this is a carefully curated collection and the Library itself is a piece of neighborhood art!” Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
I’m going to place Coming to Rosemont in as many Little Free Libraries as I can. My wonderful editor and friend is placing one in a Library in the Austin, TX area. I’ve downloaded the list of Libraries in Arizona and I plan to put a signed copy in every single one of them. If any of you know of Little Free Libraries in your area and would like to place a copy of Coming to Rosemont in your local Library, please contact me and we’ll put our heads together to see what we can work out.
Finally, I’ve noticed that a great many Little Public Libraries have been established in the memory of someone who has died. I would dearly love to be Steward of a Library in memory of my dad, who read to me every night of my childhood and who inspired me by his example of writing 17 who-done-its after he retired. My Library needs to look like Rosemont, don’t you think? My wonderful, creative, handy husband is on board with the project and is already drawing up plans. I’ll post our progress on my Facebook page — http://www.facebook.com/bhinske. 
