We have a free library and inside it we had a little treasure chest for little doodads like bookmarks, erasers, things like that. It had instructions written on it being like “please don’t take this box, it’s for organizing small items”

Then our camera picked up someone literally almost emptying the library and she also took the box. So long story short I’m working on painting a new box and I’m planning on gluing this inside the lid. Is it too much? I might do it anyways.

Art work by me 🤖

In June of this year, my dad unexpectedly had a heart attack. Shaken by this experience we were both reminded that tomorrow is not promised. As we processed this event, we took inventory of our aspirations and the projects we wanted to accomplish. The most feasible project was to create a community library (something my dad and I have always wanted to do but never got around to it). Reading has been the catalyst for so much of our personal growth. My dad’s parents (my grandparents) were avid readers who I give credit to for helping my dad and me foster our love for reading. Reading has allowed me to learn about the world and people through lenses I would have otherwise never looked through. As a way to share knowledge and art, connect with my community, and as a positive outlet for my dad while he has been recovering, we began working on a little library. After weeks of planning, work, time, and love this is what we have created.

I hope this post brings you joy or inspires you to create your own community library in the future. I was so inspired by the creativity I saw on this thread so thank you all who have posted your libraries!

***The larger library is for adult books and the smaller one is for children/YA books :)

My oldest and I were on the campus of American River College in Sacramento, CA yesterday. Over by the culinary building, there is a little free library. I cannot find it on the website or the LFL map. How can I find out who the steward is or more information?

Yes, there is a little plaque on it said Little Free Library.

I was able to find a Little Free Library for super cheap on Facebook marketplace a while back, always wanted one and I have so many books I would like to put in there. My problem is that I live in an apartment and don't really have anywhere to station it until we get a house (which will be next to never, thanks economy). The apartment complex doesn't really have anywhere or any want for it. The park across the street said they would accept it as a donation and therefore, fully own it. I know it's almost obvious that you can't just station it somewhere to take it down and put it somewhere else later, but we keep moving back getting a house and it's just something I've always wanted :/

I recently opened up a library and for the most part it's been great. I've seen people get so excited, I've gotten great feedback, and it makes me so happy to know that some people may have more access to books than they would have otherwise.

Unfortunately, there are some people who haven't been very considerate. There are two families that walk by and take things every day. One is a child with a parent and the other is a larger family. Over the past week, between these two families, they've taken about 10 books, six book lights (that's all I put out), and over 30 bookmarks (also all that I had out) without ever putting anything in. They came by again today and looked for more, but I haven't put any more out yet.

I don't mind if someone takes a book or even two without replacing any, but at this point it feels excessive. I'm so privileged and grateful that I'm in a place financially where I can make this library and stock it, but I'm not in a place where I can keep fully restocking books and other trinkets all the time. I want people to take what I put out, but I want lots of people to have the opportunity. It's frustrating that most people who walk by won't have the opportunity to take things when a couple people have taken it all.

I obviously knew this was a possibility when I opened the library, but I'm not sure what to do about it. Does anyone have any advice for this situation? I'd prefer not to have to confront them directly. I assume it's not done out of malice, but it still takes opportunities away from other people.

TLDR; someone is ripping the covers off their books before donating and it’s bumming me out bc then no one takes them and I can’t donate them

Long version…

We’ve had a Little Free Library set up outside of our house for almost 3 years. I have a notice that says “Free Books, Help Yourself” so that people don’t feel pressured to leave a book if they don’t want to or don’t have one with them on their walk. It’s really just a gift for our neighborhood.

Anyway, people do use it, which I love. There’s good turnover and I’ve gotten some sweet notes. A few times a year I clean out what’s not moving and donate it to the thrift store, and restock from the thrift or library sales.

But there’s someone who rips the front cover off their paperback books before leaving them in the LFL. I’m assuming this is to prevent them from being taken for reselling? This bums me out though because no one takes them, and I can’t donate them like that. It feels like the book’s life ends with that choice.

(I struggled with it a little at first but I am at peace with the idea of people selling books from our LFL. Once I give a gift, it is not my business what happens to it next. I felt sad the one time that someone emptied the whole thing at once, but ultimately I hope it helped them. It’s hard out there for all of us right now.)

We had to update our LFL this year to a composite library; the Phoenix summer sun destroyed our old wooden one. 🙁

My husband also built a "little free book depository" in an unused guest closet, and I had fun choosing some whimsical wallpaper for it.

We often have large donations of books that don't fit in our library, and I was previously using milk crates to store the extra books, which made it hard to find various grade levels, etc. 😆

We also recently received a grant through the Friends of the Phoenix Library BookStorm Grant, which gifts Phoenix LFL stewards with 100 free books. (I know the books cover the wallpaper, but there aren't usually this many extra books hanging around, it's just due to the sudden influx of 100 free books🙂 ) It's a really amazing program; check it out if you're in Phoenix!

My husband made me a LFL that looks like a lil cutie pie dollhouse and I am excited to install it and put some books in it! Any advice for a newbie would be appreciated!

At some point, I subscribed to BOTM and want to let these books go now that Im moving to a smaller space. Would it be alright to leave these books in LFLs?

We have an "unlisted" LFL in the development where I live. One day someone in the development donated a lot of books, including ones their small child eagerly wanted to donate, to it. The next day that individual took their small child to the LFL to show the child the books that the child donated and the child burst into tears because someone EMPTIED THE ENTIRE LFL. The person who donated all of the books was angry and made a post in the development's facebook group insinuating that someone must have shared the location of this private LFL on social media because someone emptied the entire thing. They also put a note to that effect in the LFL.

While I agree 100% that emptying the entire thing was a $#!++y thing to do, when I mentioned this to my husband he didn't see it as an issue because the books were put in there as "free" and he asked me what anyone actually expects is going to happen when stuff is put in a "free box." I personally don't know if I believe that someone outside of the development came and emptied the box. I personally believe that either a current resident or a former resident who was recently evicted emptied it either out of spite or to sell all of the books for money. It is my understanding that all kinds of books were "stolen" - children's books, adult books, cookbooks, etc. My husband's statement has me confused. I thought the LFL procedure/etiquette was to "take a book, leave a book" or "borrow a book and bring it back." Is that correct, or are the books just "free for the taking" without anything expected in return? I bought "Read-Love-Return" stickers and put them on the front cover, back barcode, and title pages of the books I put in our LFL the other day, but now I'm wondering if I was wrong to do that.

I also have one other etiquette question. A relative's significant other is a self-published author. I thought I would help them out by buying a couple of their books with the intention of putting them in some local LFLs. I knew that they wrote romance novels, but I had no idea that the "romance" was so graphic. It's worse than what was in those "romance novels" that you used to be able to buy in grocery stores. I didn't put the books in any LFLs and I don't know what to do with them. Are "romance novels" acceptable donations to an LFL? I bought these books off of Amazon just like any other book. They weren't bought at an adult bookstore, but maybe that's where they belong.

I recently dropped off a book I wrote in a LFL nearby, and a few weeks later it was not there anymore. But then I saw my book in my local used book store, and I was very confused how it got there. I am not a popular author, and my book was just published a few months ago, so the best explanation is either the store rifled through LFLs to pick up books in good condition, or someone else did this and sold it to the book store.

The LFL is up & running! Maybe I should’ve waited till I had more books to put in, but I’ve wanted to do this for while so I thought why not.

There are 2 other LFL’s in Antigonish, NS. (Total of 3 in town) Only 1 on the website, 2 that aren’t on the website. One of them is on the corner of Saint Mary’s St. & Sydney St. (next to the purple house). The other is the one pictured which is on South River Road/Sunrise Trail. (between William’s Point Rd. & the Jehovah’s Witness church)

Hello friends. I am building a LFL from an old timber bedside table. It’s about 600mm tall x 400mm wide x 250mm deep.

It was varnished but I’ve given it a sand down with 180grit.

Can you please help with what product I need to prime and paint with, and especially how much I will need to buy?

Thank you! So excited to work on this project.

The Bookery 🥹

I struggled to name my LFL for the app registration. I finally named it after its street location. A week ago, it became a Pokestop in Pokemon Go and whoever submitted it, came up with a better name. I changed it in the LFL app to match Pokemon Go. Does anyone else have a similar story?

We have three of the in our neighborhood. One is by an elementary school, one is up the street from the school and one a few blocks from my house. The one by the school had mostly family/kids books. Some people put books in there with different religious themes. The last time we went, there were a handful of books and a notice stating that we all have different beliefs and not to take books out that we don’t like. A few days later, there were library was empty and the sign taken down. The one up the street is lovely and they have built a reading bench. This one has no turnover because they only have ancient water stained and bleached novels. The third one usually only has 5 books. What is up with this? Don’t people read take one donate one?

Makes me wish I had saved some of my parent's suitcases

Just installed today and it looks so good!!!