They pop up everywhere—in front yards, on corners, in subdivisions. These miniature structures hold books, books and more books, and the contents are always changing. They’re Little Free Libraries (LFLs), the brainchild of Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin.

In 2009, Hudson built one to look like a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former teacher who loved to read. He put it on a post in his front yard, filled it with books and never dreamed that the initiative would one day result in an international nonprofit organization, Little Free Library. A few years later, there are more than 50,000 LFLs registered in the U.S. and 70 other countries.

Every type of book for every type of reader

The philosophy behind the libraries is “take a book, leave a book.” Community members can donate used reading material and exchange it for books they’ve never read. Through this process, millions of books are exchanged annually, and readers have 24/7 access they can’t find anywhere else.

LFLs come in all shapes: log cabins, Federal-style columned facades, half-timber Tudor homes and chicken coops. A Fruita LFL, located on North Mulberry just east of Circle Park, is shaped like the teardrop campers its creator, Cullen Purser, manufactures.

Each library’s contents are as varied as the architectural styles of the libraries themselves. Danielle Steele novels rub dust covers with Eastern philosophical teachings. Bodice-ripping romance paperbacks stand next to plot-driven thrillers. Children’s picture books cuddle with how-to manuals.

Dianna Vera, a former school teacher and self-described book-fiend, set up a library in front of her Teco Street home. She hopes it will put more books in the hands of children, and has stocked her library with materials for all ages and reading levels.

One library’s story

Residents of The Vineyard in the Redlands pass an LFL every day under the former bus shelter, set up by Gail Corbett, a former Mesa County Libraries volunteer.

“A couple of friends and I were at lunch and the Little Free Libraries came up in a discussion. We thought it would be great for The Vineyard,” Corbett said. “I did a lot of research online when I got home that day.”

She never got tired of shelving books at the Fruita library, and her dream was to someday own a bookstore.

“I love to read, love books and love to promote literacy for all,” said Corbett. “Books take one so many places without leaving home, and the feel of a book in one’s hand is a great feeling of comfort, happiness and contentment.”

But she couldn’t just put up a box full of books and call it good. First she had to consult The Vineyard’s homeowners’ association (HOA).

“I asked the HOA for a budget for it and it was approved. Next we searched for a builder. A neighbor had a brother who was a cabinet maker, and he set us up with a great library cabinet, painted and installed,” Corbett said.

The Vineyard’s book collection was started with 112 donated books from an acquaintance of Corbett’s who lives in Delta. After a visit, she returned to the Redlands with hardback books, dust jackets intact. LFL stewards also haunt yard sales, asking those selling paperbacks to consider donating them to local LFLs instead. She stamps each book with the Little Free Library’s insignia before adding them to the collection.

Library love

Some stewards, including Corbett, put notebooks inside the libraries, encouraging borrowers to leave reviews of the books they put inside.

Corbett has collected several notes expressing gratitude for the little community library.

“I just love the little library,” reads one. “Thank you for putting it in.”

Another says, “I am reading more than I did before since you put this in.”

Books disseminate new and varied ideas, entertain and inform readers, instill and satisfy curiosity. Reading has been shown to relax people, keep our brains sharp, teach us empathy, help us sleep better and even ease symptoms of depression. Libraries build community. So brick-and-mortar or perched on a post, what better reasons do you need to visit a library of any sort?

Locate a library near you

There are 11 registered LFLs in the Grand Valley—seven in Grand Junction, three in Fruita and one in Palisade—according to the national organization’s website. There are many other LFLs in town, but some stewards have chosen to keep their locations private, while others haven’t been registered with the parent organization.

Starting a LFL is easy. Stewards can order freestanding libraries from the organization or build one on their own. Stewards can register their library for a one-time $40 fee, which assigns the library an official charter number and allows stewards to legally call their book exchange box a Little Free Library. The steward can choose to list the LFL online for others to find. For more information, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.

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