Little Free Libraries (LFL) were something I had never heard of until a Facebook friend posted a picture of one he encountered while out in his neighborhood.  That one didn’t have an official Little Free Library plaque, but he was intrigued by it, and it really captured my attention.   So i started looking for information about such a great local idea.

I’m most inspired by very local outreach efforts – working with people that I can actually meet.   So I loved the idea of a library that would benefit people in our area.   And I love to read – a crazy amount. Roxana does too, so there are a lot of books in our house.  If there’s anything we’re apt to share, it’s books and our love for them.

A project that could benefit the community AND bring out family together was also captivating.  Ted and Roxana jumped right in on the project, even when the idea seemed a bit odd.   We all had a lot of fun, working together to design and create the LFL.  You can buy one ready made, but we wanted to create something unique.  We all learned a lot about building during the process – thanks goodness Ted knew what he was doing when we started, because neither Roxana or I had ever built anything like this.

When we started this, there were only 2 registered libraries in the area.  Now there are at least 10.  I’m glad we’re adding to the list, and hope that the community around the church embraces and enjoys the LFL spirit.

The way it works is simple:

• To start, the LFL is stocked with a variety of good quality books that we hope will interest our neighbors
• Anyone can stop by and take whatever catches their fancy
• Return and bring books to contribute when you can
• LFL books are always a gift – never for sale!

Because of communities like ours, the Little Free Library movement has rapidly grown. Many Libraries have been installed and thousands of books shared around the country as well as around the world. Little Free Library’s mission is to:

• Promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.
• To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.

Check out the LFL story at www.littlefreelibrary.org. Better yet, encourage others to put one up in their area! We hope to see you soon.

Clare Johson with Roxana and Ted Hand