The Little Free Library: It's Finally Installed

In the second week of September, I was thrilled to see my Little Free Library installed at my college town’s new trailhead. It was a satisfying and proud moment for both my professor and I; we both worked endlessly in trying to find a home for my book exchange, and luckily, we did. After an entire year of my Little Free Library sitting in my apartment, patiently waiting for the day for it to be stored with books, I can finally watch it prosper.

For all who do not know, during my junior year in college, I had to work on an academic project for my Technical Writing I class. The main focus of the project was for students to solve a dilemma on or off campus.  While wracking up my brain with different ideas, I came across a website called “The Little Free Library.” Created and initiated by Tod Bol of Wisconsin, it is a nonprofit organization with a goal to promote literacy in the United States an abroad. My main objective for the project was to not only solve a problem that I felt needed to be addressed in my college community, but to also find something creative that could potentially unite a community—it so happens that the Little Free Library was the best way to do it!

The main focus of the Little Free Library is for people in the area to take a book, share a book, and exchange it with a new read. It is a wonderful way to inspire non-readers to read, encourage children to value books, and to give book-lover’s a chance to exhibit their love of reading by sharing their favorite pieces of literature.

After devising proposals and writing grants, I was able to successfully receive funding for purchase of the book-swap and book donations from nonprofit organizations in my college community.

Now I finally got to see my vision come true! I am amazed at the amount of positive responses I have received from local residents about my little library. People have been ecstatic and enthused about having a book exchange right in town. Every time I stop by and check up on my little library, I see it filled with an array of different books. It’s truly a rewarding feeling to see people get so involved in a small movement like this.

I guess I truly have accomplished my goal, which was to unify an entire area. And I am happy to share that I aspired another college student to start a second book exchange in the community as well.

For those interested in learning more about the Little Free Library movement, I encourage you to check out their website: www.littlefreelibrary.org. You can also purchase your book exchange box from the organization, which is handmade by the Amish, or purchase other knick-knacks for an already installed book exchange.

(To read a previous post about my journey and more thorough information about the Little Library, check out my old post: https://simplybookishblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/little-free-library-movement.html).


x, Kayla