There are over 150,000 Little Free Libraries in 110 countries around the world. It’s a great concept — where people build a small display box and post it in their yard and people can “leave a book, take a book” to encourage reading and sharing. There are several in my neighborhood and I’m a frequent user.
But where we really need Free Libraries are in places where people don’t have access to an actual library and are likely to want something to read — like beaches, airports, bus terminals, and train stations. It is in those locations where I have finished a book that I don’t want to take home — but have nowhere to give it a new life –or on the beach when I want something else to read when I have finished what I brought.
Repurposing things through resale shops, garage sales, free neighborhood groups, and other exchange mechanisms is great, but think of how you can get the goods into the hands of users without a middleman. A local business put a rack of coats outside their store for people to take what they need at the start of winter. A town has umbrellas inside the door of its businesses that people can borrow when caught in an unexpected downpour. A university provides a food pantry and thrift store right on campus.
Donations are more likely to be appreciated if they are in the right place at the right time — something to keep in mind when and how you make your physical contributions.
