Take a Book, Leave a Book, Share the Love

by Jen Ward

In 2009, Todd Bol built a small wooden box shaped like a schoolhouse, mounted it on a post in his front yard in Hudson, Wisconsin, and filled it with books. It was a tribute to his mother, a teacher who loved reading. He put up a sign that said "Free Books" and waited to see what would happen.

People took books. And left books. And came back again to take and leave books.

Bol partnered with Rick Brooks, a community development specialist at the University of Wisconsin, and the two started installing more boxes around the state. By 2012 they had incorporated as a nonprofit. By 2016, Little Free Library had registered its 50,000th library. Today there are more than 175,000 registered locations across 120 countries.

The concept is simple enough to explain in one sentence: take a book, leave a book. A Little Free Library is a small weatherproof box, usually mounted on a post, stocked with whatever books the host chooses to put in it. There's no card catalog, no checkout system, no due date. You open the door, browse what's inside, take what you want, and ideally leave something behind. Some hosts restock daily. Others let the neighborhood curate itself.

Anyone can host one. The nonprofit sells prefabricated boxes in a range of sizes and styles, starting around $200, and there are plans available if you'd rather build your own. You register your location on the Little Free Library website, get a charter number, and your box appears on the official map. Registration isn't required to put up a box, but it gets you listed and connects you to a network of other hosts.

Finding one near you is easy. The Little Free Library map lets you search by address or zip code. In the Baltimore area, there are dozens of registered locations scattered across neighborhoods in Baltimore City and the surrounding counties. Some are in front yards. Some are at churches, in coffee shops, next to community gardens. A few have developed their own personality over time. One host might specialize in thrillers, another keeps a steady rotation of children's picture books.

For hosts, maintenance is minimal. Check the box every few days, pull out anything damaged by weather, and add books when the supply runs low. Many hosts say the real reward is seeing the neighborhood engage with it. Kids might pick up a book on the way to school. Neighbors stop to chat because the box gives them a reason to meet. You get to know what the people on your street are actually reading.

The organization has expanded beyond the basic neighbor book-swap model. Little Free Library now has programs dedicated to providing free boxes and books to communities with limited library access, and to encourage reading books that provide perspectives on racism and social justice or celebrate BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized voices.

If you have books sitting around that you've already read and won't pick up again, donate them to a Little Free Library in your area. It's the most direct route from your shelf to someone else's hands, and it's a good cause. And you just might find your next read in there.

Find a Little Free Library near you | Start your own

GET MORE INFORMATION

Jen Ward

Agent | License ID: 625305

+1(410) 627-5961

jen@jenwardrealtor.com

jenwardrealtor.com

6211 Greenleigh Ave, Middle River, MD, 21220, USA