Little Free Library
In summer 2012, we came upon a neighborhood library on our evening walk. Consisting of a brightly painted, oversized, old-fashioned rural mailbox, complete with a little bench next to it, the little library beckoned us to open the door and find it full of books for exchange. It was our first Little Free Library experience, and it gave our kids extra motivation to spend extra time reading that summer—all with the anticipation of going back to the library to see what books were available to “check out” the next time.
“I heard about the Little Free Library movement through an NPR story broadcast in March 2012. I was so fascinated by this story that I came home and immediately looked up more information on www.LittleFreeLibrary.org. I was instantly hooked,” says Meg Holloway, who adds the role of our neighborhood’s Little Free Library curator to her other jobs as mother, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and instructor at Blue Valley School District's Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS).
According to www.LittleFreeLibrary.org, a Little Free Library is a “‘take a book, return a book’ gathering place.” It comes in all shapes and sizes, but it is essentially a weatherproof box full of books where anyone can stop by and exchange one book for another.
Little Free Library, as it is known today, began in Hudson, WI, in 2009. The movement has quickly expanded to an estimated 10,000-12,000 neighborhood libraries around the nation, with thousands more being built. The libraries come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have common goals: to promote literacy and create a sense of community.
It’s a simple concept, but it has brought an added sense of community to our south Overland Park neighborhood.
“Just having this simple mailbox full of books has opened doors for more connections, friendships and sharing the love of reading with others. Plus, it makes people smile!” says Holloway.
According to Holloway, she and her family have hosted two walking field trips from the neighborhood elementary school. What’s more, they are enjoying the fact that kids get a chance to see an old-fashioned mailbox and learn about the honor system—when you take one book out, you replace it with another book.
“I was deeply interested in creating something that promotes the honor system. Our communities used to have more interactions based on trade and the honor system—I wanted to create an example of that for my daughter's generation.”
As for my family, we are already enjoying catching up with our neighbors at our Little Free Library and are looking forward to the great summer reading that awaits us!
Getting Started
How to find one: Go to www.LittleFreeLibrary.org and click on the map. There are only nine listed in the Kansas City area, so be sure to register yours if you already have one!
How to create one: If you don’t have your own neighborhood Little Free Library, it’s easy to get started. All you need is a weatherproof container, a good spot in your front yard where passersby can see it and some books to share. Once again, you can go to www.LittleFreeLibrary.org to get inspired and to register your own library once it’s up and running.
Jane Blumenthal Martin lives in Overland Park with her husband and two children.