Little Free Library
Give and take through worldwide, book-sharing program
Sometimes family adventures can be found in your own front yard. Or, thanks to the Little Free Library, they can be found in the front yards of your neighbors, here and all over the world.
You may have seen a Little Free Library in your neck of the woods. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most look like a tiny house on a stick, perched in someone’s front yard. Open a front door to the box, and you’re treated to free books.
Founded in 2009 by Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisc., the Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy and encourages community participation through sharing books. Its motto: “Take a book, return a book.”
Today there are more than 65,000 registered Little Free Library book-sharing boxes in all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide.
We made an adventure out of little libraries in our neighborhood in the hopes that we could trade out some old, favorite books for new ones that were more age-appropriate for our kids.
We selected seven books and visited seven libraries that we found on the Little Free Library world map.
You can do this, too, no matter where you live. Use the search bar above the map to find book-exchange boxes near you.
The best part about this literary adventure is that it doesn’t require a library card, and you won’t incur late fees!
Learn more: littlefreelibrary.org.
