Free Little Libraries Help Build Community

Writer| Emma Steinmetz

All over the world, book lovers are getting involved in their community by sharing and swapping books. This is made possible by Free Little Library, a nonprofit organization based in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Free Little Library claims that their goal is,

“a Free Little Library in every community and a book for every reader.”

They believe that

“all people are empowered when the opportunity to discover a personally relevant book to read is not limited by time, space, or privilege.”

Free Little Library steward, Jackie Killian, converted a red London phone booth into a Little Library in her Monroe County community. For the past two years, Killian’s library has been a bright spot in people's lives--a dad who takes his children when money is tight, a nonverbal autistic little girl who, even on the coldest days, is bundled up in all pink.

She rides her pink, motorized jeep down the street to the little library, her father running behind her.

“Little Free Libraries filled a void in our community,” Killian said.

She incorporated a geocache into her library, and when people began to donate puzzles, she allowed those to be traded as well. This Little Library has become more than just books, it is a community.

The community that Killian has built with her Little Library is just one of many around the world. The way to get involved is simple; find a Little Library. Take a book, and leave one in return.

If you are looking for something new to read, consider an adventure to a nearby Little Library and let the sharing begin.