Pass on a love of reading with a Little Free Library

This announcement in 2019 from my then-9-year-old son, Evan, caught me by surprise. He and our 5-year-old daughter, Nora, were frequent visitors to the colorful, typically wooden book-sharing boxes found in neighborhoods throughout Western New York. Neither kiddo could be classified as a voracious reader, but both found joy in leaving a book and taking another.

As my wife and I pondered the idea, we realized that this could be a way to encourage reading and connect with other families.

To get started, we had Evan ask his grandfather—a man skilled at craftsmanship, unlike me—about building one with him. My father-in-law was in, thankfully, because I sure as heck did not have the ability to construct anything.

My role involved doing some research. I discovered that Little Free Library (LFL) is a nonprofit organization with a volunteer-led global network of more than 175,000 libraries. Its website (littlefreelibrary.org) offers building tips, offers some (pricey) models for purchase and explains the process for registering your library and purchasing a “charter sign” with a unique number. This way, your little library will be featured on the LFL online map and app.

Evan and his grandfather worked together on constructing, installing and painting an attractive library in our front yard. Meanwhile, my father set up the LFL account and attached our charter sign.

Five years and one pandemic later, our box is thriving. The kids still get a kick out of seeing folks young and old visit E&N’s Little Free Library and peruse the selections; it is especially fun to see very small children grab a weathered John Grisham paperback, check out the cover, frown, and then put it back for a “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” novel.

That is my family’s little library story, but every owner has their own tale to tell. When I put out a call on Facebook for owners who might like to chat, I was flooded with recommendations—and wonderful stories. I found that every owner has a desire to make free books available for people of all ages, backgrounds and interests.

As Cheektowaga LFL owner Jessica Nemeti puts it, “There is something magical in the feeling that you are contributing to someone else’s love for reading.”

Lancaster’s Renee Backstrom started a library, Betty’s Reading Buddies Little Free Library, in memory of her mother.

“My mom read every night and always shared books with neighbors and friends,” Renee says. “When I was thinking of a way to honor her memory, I realized there was nothing more perfect than a Little Free Library. My youngest was only 13 months old when she passed, so it is a great way for him to get to ‘know’ her.”

Judy Bradbury maintains a library on Cayuga Island in Niagara Falls. She says her passion for books and reading was “nourished by my mother’s habit of reading aloud daily to my siblings and me.” This inspired a career as a teacher and author. In fact, one of the books in her Cayuga Island Kids series, “The Case of the Messy Message and the Missing Facts,” is a mystery involving a little library.

“Unfortunately, not all kids have rich, ready access to books,” Judy says. “I began establishing libraries in our community through my association with the Niagara Frontier Reading Council. Over a dozen LFLs have been placed across our region. I provide the books for many of these boxes, and a team of dedicated volunteers maintains them.”

Every little library is different, but all help make reading fun, interactive and “hyper-local,” says Parkside’s Lauren Newkirk Maynard. She has been visiting libraries with her son since he was an infant.

“Kids connect with activities when they are more directly involved,” she says. “Giving them the ability to browse and discover books, and choose what to donate later, helps teach the power of free, community-based resources.”

Whether you want to have your own or just visit, there is much joy to be had. Bring a book, take a book, and start reading.

Interested in starting a Little Free Library? Consider these tips.

If you are building your own, search for ideas and develop a concept. “I had a vision in mind to construct one out of household materials that could be weather proofed,” says Jessica Nemeti. “I purchased a small decorative cabinet made of glass and wood in the shape of a house, located a used shelving structure, and added solar powered fairy lights.”

Consider weather-proofing. “If you're worried about the library being ruined by the elements, coat it in a weather-proof spray to protect it,” Jessica says.

Look into multiple sources for books. Former librarian and LFL organizer Freda Zecher-Tropp recommends posting on Buy Nothing neighborhood groups, visiting bag sales at local libraries and “sharing with anyone and everyone” you know that you collect books. She adds that it is important to understand that “take a book, give a book” is not always possible for visitors.

Utilize social media. Many owners have Facebook and Instagram pages, which offer a way to update visitors on the latest donations. “It's exciting to be a part of the little library movement on social media,” says Jessica.

Think outside the (book) box. West Seneca’s Roxann Gaghich, who runs Grandma Roxann’s Little Free Library, has held book fairs and reading events, and has even incorporated the “letters to Santa” concept. “You can do as little or as much as you want,” she says. “Once you start getting donations, it can almost run itself.”