Little Free Libraries: A Call for Research into the Tiny Book Depositories

Marianne Snow

Abstract


One day, as I was leaving my favorite local bookstore, I noticed an odd structure rising out of the sidewalk. Resembling a large birdhouse, it was decorated with bottle caps and contained a small collection of books. Glancing down, I noticed a small sign bearing the name “Little Free Library,” and, since it was cute, I took a picture of the structure and went about my business. I didn’t think much about this brief encounter until a few days later when I noticed a similar construction in front of a bank. By now, I was intrigued and Googled the name as soon as I got home. As it turns out, these small book depositories are cropping up all over in all fifty states and across six continents.


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References


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“The History of Little Free Library,” Little Free Library, accessed May 20, 2015, www.littlefreelibrary.org/ourhistory. All information about the history of the Little Free Library movement comes from this source.

“What Is a Little Free Library?,” Little Free Library, accessed May 20, 2015, www.littlefreelibrary.org.

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April Burkhart, “Athens Little Library Offers Free Books, Supports Literacy,” Athens Banner-Herald, March 24, 2013, http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-03-24/athens-little-library-offers-free-books-supports-literacy.

Todd Bol, “Little Free Library Big Book Access,” accessed May 21, 2015, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490112915/little-free-librarys-big-book-access-project.

Adrian Rogers, “It Seems That Only Readers Are Checking Out Little Free Libraries,” Spokesman-Review, November 18, 2012, www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/nov/18/abridged-selection.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5860/cal13n4.30

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