Introducing Our Little Library…

I had seen several Little Libraries on my Twitter feed and a couple in my town,  but there were none in our neighbor… and my dad needed a project. Naturally, I Googled “Little Library” and found the site for the organization: Little Free Library. They provide a wealth of knowledge about getting started with a library… They sell ready-made libraries, provide plans for how to build your own, and a way to register and put your library on the national map. The libraries they sell are pretty expensive, but my dad is pretty handy.  it looked like a good project he could work on with my daughter, especially the painting. He built it over the course of a couple weeks and during that time, my daughter spent a weekend over at my parents house. She helped at the hardware store and with the primer and then the first coat of paint. My mom also got in the mix by taking my daughter to her local library’s used book store and picking up some children’s books to put in the library.

My job was to find a spot in the my front yard and dig the hole. Then my dad came over with the stand and we put it in. We then attached the library and let the concrete set for a little while. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and some refreshments, and the library was open for business. Our street gets a good deal of foot traffic from walkers, so there’s been some turnover in the books in our first month. I’m going to try to attract some more visitors this summer. Here’s some ideas I’ve gotten off the Little Library Website: sidewalk chalk, put a book in wrapping paper for a “blind date,” or get the word out on social media.

I’m excited for all the possibilities of sharing reading with our neighborhood.

Do you have Little Libraries in your neighborhood? How do the stewards get traffic to their boxes?