Little Free Library

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Free Little Library Produces Free Smiles

I've seen the pictures on Pinterest.  They look like giant bird houses with glass doors. Only the inhabitants aren't our fine feathered friends, they’re books—free books! These libraries are placed in spots where the public can access them to take a book or leave a book.  How fun is that?  You can just browse and see if there’s something that catches your eye, and it’s yours for the taking—no strings attached.   I thought that sounded like a great idea.  Imagine how excited I was when my son spotted one in our own neighborhood.  Of course, I drove right home from work, picked up my son, my sister, and a few books and drove over to the new attraction.  There it was--this beautiful little library that matched the owners’ house. 
I was so excited I had to leave a note for the owner, the person who made my day, the person who would do such a nice thing for others.  Later that week I rode my bike back there again to show my husband the library. Sarah, the owner, and Tom, her husband who built the Little Free Library, just happened to be on the balcony when we rode up.  We talked a bit and I found out that this gift to the neighborhood was Sarah’s Christmas present from her husband.  It’s obvious that Sarah finds joy in seeing the people’s smiles when they spot this little treasure on her quiet street.  And boy was I smiling.  It’s a book lover’s dream—like free ice cream for kids. My sister and I have been telling everyone about it: our friends, book club members, and we even brought our mom to see it when she was visiting from out of town.  If you're in the area you can visit it at 2009 N. 5th Street, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.
Foster and 10th Coeur d'Alene

Now there’s even more excitement! A few weeks after my wonderful discovery, I found out that the downtown community garden on 10th and Foster has also added a free library. This one looks totally different than the first one and is just as cute.

Community Garden Foster and 10th
Community Garden Foster and 10th

I looked online, and saw that there are many styles available for these libraries.  There’s the Scandinavian Cottage, an Amish shed, and many more. There’s even a Little Red British Phone Booth!   They aren't cheap.  Some are pre-built, some are kits. They run $250 all the way up to $600! That made me appreciate Sarah, Tom, and the community garden even more.  Little Free Libraries are located all over the country and even in other parts of the world.  There are an estimated 5000 to 6000 Free Little Libraries in 36 countries. There’s a map online where you can see all the locations of the registered free little libraries. It tells you the address and even GPS location of them. And guess what?  I found more free little libraries in our area!   It’s a good thing we’re not taking an RV vacation this year.  I’d stock up on a few good books to trade and have those little libraries mapped out along our route!  To learn more about the Little Free Libraries, visit http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

Little Free Library Map Link
http://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/

Update

2-22-15  Hayden Lake, ID.  Just visited another Little Free Library.  This one had a little bridge spanning a small stream and a bench next to it, so you can sit and read a bit.  Visit it at 4686 E. Upper Hayden Lake Road, Hayden Lake, Idaho 83835.
Happy Reading,
Annette


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