We have all seen them popping up in unexpected places; a little cupboard perched in a neighborhood with the invitation to open the door and peek inside for a treasure. The Little Free Library is a grassroots movement that began with a mother encouraging her young son that he had something to offer the world even though he struggled to read. About 45 years later, in 2009, Todd Bol, the now-grown boy, made the first little library and set it up on his Wisconsin street. Family and friends were inspired to build and install their own LFL’s, and it became a movement. At last count, there are more than 75,000 registered LFL’s in 88 countries.
The supporters of LFL’s refer to themselves as stewards, ordinary people who want to share the power of story and reading. “Take a book, leave a book,” many of them say.
The author of Little Libraries, Big Heroes discovered that LFL’s can be found along the U.S.-Mexican border, in Ireland and South Sudan, beside a hiking trail in Canada and a street corner in Pakistan—all over the world.
Little Libraries, Big Heroes is a story about the power of an idea to become widespread when it catches the imagination. It’s a delight to read and highly recommended for any library or classroom. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
About the Author
Jenny deGroot is a freelance media review and news writer for The Banner. She lives on Swallowfield Farm near Fort Langley B.C. with her husband, Dennis. Before retirement she worked as a teacher librarian and assistant principal.