We just got back from an Alaskan cruise, which I will post about later, but in Juneau we stumbled across this amazing Little Library in front of someone’s house. It contained books for children and adults inside and from the title on top, it seemed like the Little Free Library might be an international movement.
Indeed, the Little Free Library was started in Wisconsin in 2009 and has popped up in over 40 countries worldwide with over 15,000 Little Libraries. This one in Juneau had a little notebook on the top shelf for passerbys to write things in, and when I did a quick google search of this today, I found a recent article that mentioned the notebook was written in by people from Hawaii to Seattle (that’s me! Woot woot!).
Hand built libraries are available for purchase and there also also instructions on how to make your own. There is the option of making the library into a seed and recipe exchange, and the artist in me thinks it would be amazing to have some sort of communal art journals. Their Pinterest page showcases many Little Libraries – doppelgangers of the houses they stand in front of, miniature British telephone booths, nods to Dr. Who – my favorite is the Theatre from Atlanta, GA.
Here’s a great map of where to find them all over the world. Have you seen one of these in your neighborhood? I know what’s on my birthday wish list from my handy father this summer!
Summit, NJ
Redmond, Wa
Northfield, MN
Lancaster, PA
Decatur, IL
College Park, GA
Atlanta, GA
pear / 1786 posts
So cool!!!
nectarine / 2771 posts
That is awesome! And I love the houses, too cute!
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
There’s one in front of the elementary school by my house. I think it’s such a great idea.
clementine / 812 posts
We have several in our town. So cool!
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
That is SO cool!!
pear / 1998 posts
Our neighborhood has two! I want one, but I’m not sure how much use the other two get. I think it will be tons of fun once we have little kiddos.
I’m in Wisconsin I see them around our city all the time!
pomelo / 5678 posts
Yup. These are all over my city! I think it’s great.
nectarine / 2173 posts
I’ve just recently discovered two in our neighborhood. And while out looking for houses in another town this past weekend, discovered another. I love it!
pea / 18 posts
We’ve got quite a few around Ballard. I’ve never taken a book, but next time I see one I’ll have to check out the selection. I really want to put one up at my house–a great way to pass along books that we’re done with
pomelo / 5220 posts
There is one on the walk to my doctor’s office, I always wondered if there were others. So cute! I live in the city so I don’t know where I would put one…
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
Is the idea taking one and returning it to the same box? Or taking one and replacing with one of your own? Like a swap? I have never seen this before but it is so cute!
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
So awesome!!
blogger / clementine / 750 posts
SWEET! I just found one about 15 minutes from my house with that map. Thanks! I have the same question as Mrs. Confetti: is it a swap deal? If it is, I’ll probably take a book or two with me when I got check it out!
pomelo / 5628 posts
Wow, there’s one just by my house too and I never knew! This is just about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.
blogger / pomelo / 5361 posts
That is SUCH a cool idea. I want to do this at our new house.
blogger / clementine / 998 posts
@mrs. Rabbit @ mrs. Confetti – you don’t have to return the same book you took, you can certainly leave one of your own instead
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
So cool, and those designs?! Flipping awesome!!
clementine / 750 posts
We have one in our neighborhood. It’s such a neat idea.
pear / 1696 posts
Yes! We have one in our ‘hood, just two blocks away.
blogger / apricot / 424 posts
Love this! I wonder if we have them in Canada? I am putting my Dad on the job to make me one asap
grapefruit / 4731 posts
I use to do book crossing… we you leave books in random places with a little note.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
This is so so cool!! I have never seen one of these!! I’d love to have one in front of my house, but don’t know if the HOA would like that.
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
This is so cool! I need to see if there are any by me now and I want to make one! This is awesome!
honeydew / 7488 posts
Wow, so cool! There are a few near us, mostly in public schools and one near a church! Adding it to our summer bucket list to visit one!
clementine / 750 posts
Ours is located by our neighborhood pool. I will be curious to see if it gets more use in pool season as we moved into the neighborhood last fall.
pomegranate / 3113 posts
We have a few in our neighborhood. I love the ones designed to look like mini versions of the owner’s house! It was kind of sad, a few months ago the one near my bus stop “closed” because the owners moved and took it with them — the front of that house still looks bare to me without the LFL.
nectarine / 2210 posts
I’ve heard of these, but was a little leery of doing it in Louisiana where we have such crazy weather. But looking at the map there’s two not too far from our house, so I may need to take a drive to check them out!
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
This is awesome!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
This is so awesome!!!
persimmon / 1420 posts
They are popping up all over Seattle right now! Three in my neighborhood within walking distance. So great!
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I ran past one the other day. So cool!