In the summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I felt called to create something fun to entertain all the kids and adults who were suddenly walking through our neighborhood. My husband and I made a "Little Free Library" to resemble our home, and over the years, it was used quite a bit by the families who lived in our suburban neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. We stocked the shelves--and soon enough, many people "checked in" to take or drop off books, and some even left us sweet notes of appreciation. It was a wonderful bonding experience! I started with the goal to bring joy to others...but the person who felt the most joy had to be ME!
We recently moved, and I've been missing our Little Library. I did some research and found that there were three Little Libraries in our new community. The adorable library pictured below was already pretty full, but I noticed it had no children's books. Since it's a neighborhood with lots of babies and toddlers, I purchased a few of my favorite picture books from when my own kids were young to add some variety.
The mission of Little Free Library is to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access for all. I hope I was able to support that mission by providing excellent books that my family members have cherished. It also felt good to contribute in a positive way to my new community AND provide support to a library steward, as so many had done for me.
Want to see if there is a Little Library near you? Check on the global map: https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/
What a beautiful Little Free Library you all made! So smart to make it look like your own house. What a wonderful way to interact with your community.