Little Free Library

I recently found out about Little Free Libraries (LFL). Apparently it is a growing trend with more than 21,000 of them around the world (most in the USA).

The LFL philosophy, to quote the LFL website:

It’s a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share.

I love the idea. Anything to help people read is a fabulous thing in my world. And that it can create a sense of community is a bonus.

Here are some examples:

New Jersey, USA

Massachusetts, USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Stop a Library From Closing

I think people's need for books and the sense of community a library creates can be forgotten at times. After reading the following article, originally posted by the ABC on 16th January, I don't think the council of Milton Keynes will forget again.

People power empties threatened library

The residents of a small town in Britain have borrowed every single book from their local library in an attempt to stop it from being closed.

Until this week, the town of Stony Stratford, a constituent town of Milton Keynes in north Buckinghamshire, was notable only because its two pubs, The Cock and The Bull, were the likely origin of the phrase "a cock and bull story".

But when the Milton Keynes Council decided to close Stony Stratford's library as part of budget cuts, 6,000 of the town's residents decided they had another story to tell.

A week ago the library held 16,000 books but today the stunned librarians preside over bare shelves. The people of Stony Stratford have taken home their maximum allowance of 15 books, including dusty mechanics manuals and flimsy paperback novels. At one stage during the week, nearly 380 books were being stamped out on loan every hour.

The campaign, called 'Wot No Books', was organised on Facebook by Friends of Stony Stratford Library. The group says the protest aims to show the void that would be left in the community if the library closed.

The Stony Stratford Council has backed the campaign against the Milton Keynes Council, because like many of the town's groups, it holds its meetings in the library. The Milton Keynes Council says it will continue to consult with the community about the planned closure.