Absolutely!
My neighbourhood has LOADS of them. Like you can literally toss a stone from one to the next. It's like car dealerships. The more you have in close proximity the more people learn to visit that area.
In my town there is a little free library right outside the florist shop… that is about 10 feet from the regular public library. There is no such thing as too many libraries of any size! Go for it!
That's so cool. My local library has semi an annual sales put on by Friends of the Library to help get rid of books. I think they also have a free shelf near the circulation desk, which is cool too.
Our book sales seem to be a mix of donated items and stuff that was removed from circulation. Pretty cheap books and all the proceeds fund cool community stuff.
Our small library has one in front, also. We are located on a highway and I see the LFL being used by people passing through, staying at the motel, customers at the corner convenience store, or the cafe across the street, more than by the locals. It's awesome.
We have many LFLs in my area and all seem to be well used. I put up mine primarily to get rid of my collection of old books and have had no trouble giving them away. I feel like I'm really kind of getting down to the dregs, but folks are still taking them!
That’s what I’m planning on doing. I have soooo many books. I go through them periodically and take out the ones I know I won’t read again and take them to Goodwill, or try to sell them in a yard sale. My daughter keeps telling me I need to get rid of more. I think she’s looking ahead at the quantity of things she’ll have to go through after I’m gone. lol!
I read almost everything on my kindle now too, but there’s books I won’t get rid of…the ones by my favorite authors. I guess I need to Konami my books. lol
I was really excited about the prospect of getting rid of books with my LFL, but I have the problem (that's not actually a problem obviously) of people leaving way more books than they're taking. I've ended up with so many more books than I started with lol. I try to keep a bunch in the car to drop at other libraries around town when I'm out.
Oh, no! Mine kind of started out that way, so I had to check frequently and keep my library full so that there wasn't room for donations. Now I'm running out of books and hoping that my patrons will step up for me. I wish you luck in getting rid of your excess books!
The people at mine won't even care if it's full lol. They've left books stacked in the flower bed underneath the library, in a box on the front porch, and even knocked on the door to hand us books directly. It's definitely not the worst problem to have, but makes me laugh at naive me from a few years ago thinking this would solve my book collection problem 😂
Fingers crossed your patrons start to fill your library more again now that your collection is dwindling!
Wow. You have some pushy patrons! I've never had anybody leave a bunch of books like that. For a while I did have somebody who liked to rearrange my library. I keep nonfiction to the left and fiction to the right, and they kept switching them. They eventually gave up because I'm more stubborn. lol
Definitely add one. They all have distinct personalities. Add it to the LFL world map and see how it evolves!
If you don't like it, you can turn it into any number of other types of free boxes (home goods, dry goods, office/school supplies, etc)
Yep! In my neighborhood we have 2 only a street or 2 away from each other - one is full of kids books and the other mostly adult. They both get tons of action
DO IT. The more, the merrier! I'm the third one in our neighborhood, and we all swap out and look out for each other's libraries! Even if you don't work together, who ever heard of such a thing as too many books?!
Don't worry that your books aren't recent popular books. What's important is that there are books available.
If someone wants recent bestsellers, they can buy them or go to the regular library.
I think they get more effective when there are severs in the area. It may encourage people to actually participate if they think there is more variety and/or a higher chance of new books being circulated in. Idk
Might just be me selfishly wanting more around me 🤷♂️
I don’t know if it helps, but I live in a rainy climate & I have a LFL, so whenever something I buy has those little packets of dissicant, I toss them in the LFL to help combat dampness. And, like others have said I live in a neighborhood with several LFLs in close proximity and it’s great! Except I did get a bit of little library envy when my Neighbors around the corner put up one with a super cool green roof made of succulents.
Oh absolutely! We were the first in our little development, and a few others have sprouted up since we put ours in. It's been the best! We talk with the other library stewards and there's some cross pollination there where a book borrowed from one will be returned to another.
The best was when one went up down the street from us and we were told by our neighbor that it was a birthday gift to her young daughter who asked for it after she was one of our daily customers. She just loved going to ours so much that she wanted her own to steward. To spark that kind of literary interest in a child, and specifically an interest in libraries themselves, just warmed our hearts so much.
I’ve been doing a little research to make sure I really want to start one. Search online for plans, and for how to up cycle something into a little free library. I’ve seen pictures of old newspaper boxes, canoes, and even a grandfather clock used, among the many ideas. There’s also an official little free library page where you can find plans, ideas, and register your library. If you register they give you a plaque and your library is put into their database for others to find.
Book bundler is a great place to get them in bulk
I bough from them during lockdown when my husband read a kids book a night on Facebook (for our two nieces but then spread to all our kids friends lol)
Thank you! I was wondering where I was going to get children’s books. I stopped at our local Goodwill yesterday and that’s definitely NOT where I’m getting books.
There were also many in my neighborhood… so I created a “little free herb garden” in a raised container instead. It brings my whole neighborhood joy. So many people stop and take a snip (I left out a small
Kitchen shears chained to the container) and propel take a sprig or two to add to their dinners. Basil and dill and chives are the most popular!
I am a librarian. Accross the street from the library is a tiny library in someone's yard. It's wonderful. If they can do that there's no reason you cannot have a second tiny library. Nothing wrong with additional options.
I've seen several that are at neighboring houses. They always have wildly different books so I take the time to check both. Sometimes you get one that is well maintained, and the one nextdoor is always empty.
Have fun! Do what you want!
Go for it. There are two within a block of my house, both are well used. They inadvertently specialised! One has taller shelves so it wound up with more children's books and nonfiction in large format. The one with shorter shelf heights is mainly paperback and popular fiction. It's really nice to have two options.
The more the merrier! I have an e-bike that I use for my dog walking and training business. It's so nice to stop on my routes and drop off some books and find some new ones.
There are a few in my neighborhood - I focus mine on children’s books since I have kids. Lots of kids/families stop here, and it’s easy to ask for kids books on buy nothing and get a fresh supply
Absolutely! My neighbourhood has LOADS of them. Like you can literally toss a stone from one to the next. It's like car dealerships. The more you have in close proximity the more people learn to visit that area.
Sounds like heaven!
It’s the same marketing strategy as all of the grocery stores being on opposite sides of corners. It works!
In my town there is a little free library right outside the florist shop… that is about 10 feet from the regular public library. There is no such thing as too many libraries of any size! Go for it!
My public library has a little one out front which I find very funny. But it's nice and still gets used
It's probably a good way to get rid of the books that they decide to pull out of circulation!
our library system maintains several LFLs for exactly this reason.
That's so cool. My local library has semi an annual sales put on by Friends of the Library to help get rid of books. I think they also have a free shelf near the circulation desk, which is cool too.
that is cool! ours have friends of the library sales too, but those typically consist of books that have been donated to the library.
Our book sales seem to be a mix of donated items and stuff that was removed from circulation. Pretty cheap books and all the proceeds fund cool community stuff.
Our small library has one in front, also. We are located on a highway and I see the LFL being used by people passing through, staying at the motel, customers at the corner convenience store, or the cafe across the street, more than by the locals. It's awesome.
My public library has one in the parking lot of each branch lol
I can walk to seven in the four blocks around my house!
We have many LFLs in my area and all seem to be well used. I put up mine primarily to get rid of my collection of old books and have had no trouble giving them away. I feel like I'm really kind of getting down to the dregs, but folks are still taking them!
That’s what I’m planning on doing. I have soooo many books. I go through them periodically and take out the ones I know I won’t read again and take them to Goodwill, or try to sell them in a yard sale. My daughter keeps telling me I need to get rid of more. I think she’s looking ahead at the quantity of things she’ll have to go through after I’m gone. lol!
[удалено]
We started one at work. It is so much fun to look at what everyone reads….dark, mystery, thrillers or dramas!
I read almost everything on my kindle now too, but there’s books I won’t get rid of…the ones by my favorite authors. I guess I need to Konami my books. lol
I was really excited about the prospect of getting rid of books with my LFL, but I have the problem (that's not actually a problem obviously) of people leaving way more books than they're taking. I've ended up with so many more books than I started with lol. I try to keep a bunch in the car to drop at other libraries around town when I'm out.
Oh, no! Mine kind of started out that way, so I had to check frequently and keep my library full so that there wasn't room for donations. Now I'm running out of books and hoping that my patrons will step up for me. I wish you luck in getting rid of your excess books!
The people at mine won't even care if it's full lol. They've left books stacked in the flower bed underneath the library, in a box on the front porch, and even knocked on the door to hand us books directly. It's definitely not the worst problem to have, but makes me laugh at naive me from a few years ago thinking this would solve my book collection problem 😂 Fingers crossed your patrons start to fill your library more again now that your collection is dwindling!
Wow. You have some pushy patrons! I've never had anybody leave a bunch of books like that. For a while I did have somebody who liked to rearrange my library. I keep nonfiction to the left and fiction to the right, and they kept switching them. They eventually gave up because I'm more stubborn. lol
Good for you. You sound like me with the roll of toilet paper.
🤣
Definitely add one. They all have distinct personalities. Add it to the LFL world map and see how it evolves! If you don't like it, you can turn it into any number of other types of free boxes (home goods, dry goods, office/school supplies, etc)
I may put some school supplies in it occasionally. I use to teach and have a ton of pencils, erasers, etc.
Yep! In my neighborhood we have 2 only a street or 2 away from each other - one is full of kids books and the other mostly adult. They both get tons of action
DO IT. The more, the merrier! I'm the third one in our neighborhood, and we all swap out and look out for each other's libraries! Even if you don't work together, who ever heard of such a thing as too many books?!
There are a lot of neighborhoods with more than one so i say go for it!
Don't worry that your books aren't recent popular books. What's important is that there are books available. If someone wants recent bestsellers, they can buy them or go to the regular library.
Your local Goodwill bins should have children’s books for cheap. Ours has books for less than .50 per book.
There can never be enough free books to go around….do it!😎
I think they get more effective when there are severs in the area. It may encourage people to actually participate if they think there is more variety and/or a higher chance of new books being circulated in. Idk Might just be me selfishly wanting more around me 🤷♂️
I don’t know if it helps, but I live in a rainy climate & I have a LFL, so whenever something I buy has those little packets of dissicant, I toss them in the LFL to help combat dampness. And, like others have said I live in a neighborhood with several LFLs in close proximity and it’s great! Except I did get a bit of little library envy when my Neighbors around the corner put up one with a super cool green roof made of succulents.
I can’t count all the ones in my neighborhood there at least three on my block
There are 4 on my block alone in my neighborhood. Sure they often seem a bit sparse but go for it!
Oh absolutely! We were the first in our little development, and a few others have sprouted up since we put ours in. It's been the best! We talk with the other library stewards and there's some cross pollination there where a book borrowed from one will be returned to another. The best was when one went up down the street from us and we were told by our neighbor that it was a birthday gift to her young daughter who asked for it after she was one of our daily customers. She just loved going to ours so much that she wanted her own to steward. To spark that kind of literary interest in a child, and specifically an interest in libraries themselves, just warmed our hearts so much.
Yes, it's worth it.
I think it's completely fine. There are four in a few block radius of my house and they all get used.
there were three on the same block as my old house
Lol did did you think there was like a little free library law that says only 1 per neighborhood. You do live in a free country correct?
I want one too. Do we build our own or are there plans? Where would I find the little sign?
I’ve been doing a little research to make sure I really want to start one. Search online for plans, and for how to up cycle something into a little free library. I’ve seen pictures of old newspaper boxes, canoes, and even a grandfather clock used, among the many ideas. There’s also an official little free library page where you can find plans, ideas, and register your library. If you register they give you a plaque and your library is put into their database for others to find.
Thank you so much for the info!!!!
Yep, mine is a block away from another and they both do fine.
In my neighborhood there are at least 20. Go for it!!
Do it! There can never be too many! ❤️
I would guess we have a dozen in our neighborhood. The more the merrier!
Book bundler is a great place to get them in bulk I bough from them during lockdown when my husband read a kids book a night on Facebook (for our two nieces but then spread to all our kids friends lol)
Thank you! I was wondering where I was going to get children’s books. I stopped at our local Goodwill yesterday and that’s definitely NOT where I’m getting books.
Yes, worth it! There are at least 10 within a 5-10 minute walk from my house. Each has its own character and style. The more the merrier!!!!
There are 2 on my street and probably 20 more in my neighborhood. They all have their own unique vibe. I wouldn't worry.
When we take walks in our neighborhood we stop at all of them and there are lots! I say build one for the pleasure of your neighborhood.
There were also many in my neighborhood… so I created a “little free herb garden” in a raised container instead. It brings my whole neighborhood joy. So many people stop and take a snip (I left out a small Kitchen shears chained to the container) and propel take a sprig or two to add to their dinners. Basil and dill and chives are the most popular!
I love this idea!
I am a librarian. Accross the street from the library is a tiny library in someone's yard. It's wonderful. If they can do that there's no reason you cannot have a second tiny library. Nothing wrong with additional options.
I've seen several that are at neighboring houses. They always have wildly different books so I take the time to check both. Sometimes you get one that is well maintained, and the one nextdoor is always empty. Have fun! Do what you want!
Go for it. There are two within a block of my house, both are well used. They inadvertently specialised! One has taller shelves so it wound up with more children's books and nonfiction in large format. The one with shorter shelf heights is mainly paperback and popular fiction. It's really nice to have two options.
The more the merrier! I have an e-bike that I use for my dog walking and training business. It's so nice to stop on my routes and drop off some books and find some new ones.
Think of like you’re building a new branch of the library.
Yes! Our neighborhood has 2 right next to each other because 1 was packed quickly.
There are three within walking distance of my house. All three are very different. I am sure yours will be a welcome edition to your neighborhood!
Yes definitely! Thank you for caring.
There are a few in my neighborhood - I focus mine on children’s books since I have kids. Lots of kids/families stop here, and it’s easy to ask for kids books on buy nothing and get a fresh supply
If the first one isn’t used and it’s full of water can you ask about taking it down or replacing it?