In the beginning—2009–Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former school teacher who loved reading. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it. He built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that said FREE BOOKS. Rick Brooks, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential social enterprises. Together, the two saw opportunities to achieve a wide variety of goals for the common good. Each brought different skills to the effort, Bol as a creative craftsman experienced with innovative enterprise models and Brooks as a youth and community development educator with a background in social marketing. They were inspired by many different ideas:
Andrew Carnegie’s support of 2,509 free public libraries around the turn of the 19th to 20th century. The heroic achievements of Miss Lutie Stearns, a librarian who brought books to nearly 1400 locations in Wisconsin through “traveling little libraries” between 1895 and 1914.
“Take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces. Neighborhood kiosks, TimeBanking and community gift-sharing networks
Grassroots empowerment movements in Sri Lanka, India and other countries worldwide. Growth and New Ideas. Dr. Tariq Saleem Marwat, a Little Free Library champion, Lakki Marwat, Pakistan
Dr. Tariq Saleem Marwat, a Little Free Library champion
in Pakistan
By the summer of 2010 the mission and purposes served by the little boxes of books were becoming more clear. The original models had all been built with recycled materials. Each was unique but all shared the theme of exchanging good books and bringing people together for something positive. The names “Habitat for the Humanities,” “House of Stories” soon gave way to what more and more people called Little Free Libraries. Early adopters of this little innovation became key connectors with friends and supporters. Their role as stewards were critical to the movement’s growing success. One of our Unique Little Free Librarys showing Andrew Carnegie
Our Mission
To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide. To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations. Our Goal
To build 2,510 Little Free Libraries—as many as Andrew Carnegie—and keep going.*
Key Strategies
Promotion of reading for children, literacy for adults and libraries around the world.
