Last week my son and I did a tour of all the Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood. We dropped off several books in each one, along with signed copies of my own book, “I’m Going to My First Comic Con.” We also found a few good books to take home! I recommend checking out the book boxes from time to time. You never know what you’ll find, and it’s a great way to get rid of extra books.

What is a Little Free Library?

You might have seen these little book boxes around your neighborhood. They can be from the official Little Free Library website, or you can build your own however you like. The important part is that the structure will protect the books, and people can easily access it. You fill it with books you want to share, and people take the books and sometimes leave a few of theirs. It’s a free library that’s open 24/7.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota with a mission to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all. They do this through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. Their vision is a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader.

If you haven’t seen them around, you can look up your area on the Little Free Library website: https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/ and they also have an app! And if you build a little library, you can submit your location to them to be added to the map so others can find you.

You can find all kinds of books in the boxes, both for kids and adults. We even found a toy giraffe in one! That was my son’s favorite find of the day of course, with a book about Minecraft coming in a close second.