Over the last few years the sound of new construction has been
reverberating throughout the Twin Cities. The whir of electric saws and the
rhythmic pounding of hammers are busily at work, not constructing McMansions,
but assembling small doll-house-like structures that are called Free Little
Libraries. These charming little buildings have sprung up throughout the Twin
Cities and we are now seeing them in yards all over Camden. They come in all
styles and all designs that range from simple to more elaborate, but they all
have one thing in common—they are a place to hold books for people to read for
free. Despite the invention and convenience of electronic books, there is still
nothing like actually holding and reading a real book. Some of our most
cherished memories come from the books that we read as children. Mankato native
Maud Lovelace’s novels were some of my beloved favorites.
The variety of books
that can be found in these miniature libraries is endless; novels, biographies,
children picture books, poetry and even cookbooks. They are also used as an
exchange; take a book and leave a book. It is a great way to recycle, and at
the same time to share your love of reading with your community. I remember
when bookmobiles used to deliver books to people who lived far from libraries.
The Free Little Library is just another method of distributing books; another
creative way of sharing stories and information with other people. This
sentiment is shared by master fiction writer Stephen King who once said, “Books
are a uniquely portable magic.”
The Free Little
Libraries started with a simple idea that Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin had in
2009 when he created his first free library. He built it as a loving tribute to
his late mother who had been a teacher and avid reader. Appropriately, it was
an old fashioned one room schoolhouse. He packed it with books and put it in
his front yard on a post with a sign that read “Free Books.” His neighbors
loved the idea and soon Bol was making these small structures from recycled
materials for his friends. Word quickly got around and the rest, as they say,
is history.
By the end of 2011,
there were 400 Free Little Libraries across the U.S. And the Free Little
Library appeal was not exclusive to our country—the concept caught on and is
now an international sensation. It just
illustrates how the power of exchanging and sharing books has on people.
No matter what culture we live in, and no matter what language we speak, the
desire to learn is universal. And what better way to learn then in the pages of
a book.
While they can never
replace Webber or North Regional Libraries, the Free Little Libraries are just
a smaller, more neighborly version of how a good mystery or current best-seller
can be shared with your community. It fosters communication and promotes
literacy. It has inspired the Books Around the Block project in Minneapolis
elementary schools, which has erected Free Little Libraries in neighborhoods
where community libraries are not close by.
Now that you are inspired
to create your own library, there are a few things you need to consider first
before you pick up your hammer; the size (small is what we are going for here),
the style, and lastly where you want to display it in your yard. There is no
hurry — you have all winter to plan and show your whimsical creative side, and
it will take a modicum of fanciful imagination to create one of these little
structures.
As you plan your design
you might want to check out littlelibrary.org. The website is a good resource
for info and inspiration, and will link you to other like-minded builders. If
you can wait until March, Margret Aldrich’s new book Little Free Libraries will
be published by local publisher Coffee House Press, and it promises to be chock
full of personal stories, photos, blueprints, and boundless creative
ideas.
If you are not handy with a hammer, you can
order one from the Little Free Library website. Or you could also ask a handy
relative. Or you could pay someone locally to make one for you. The Victory
Neighborhood Association (612-529-9558) has been promoting Free Little
Libraries in the Camden area, they may possibly know of someone. It all began
with a son’s love for his mother that took off like crazy through word of mouth
and social media, and has now grown into an international movement with a
universal theme of communicating and sharing with your neighbors by using one
of the oldest mediums, the book.