Todd Bol's mother was a school teacher, who loved books and believed in sharing them. After her death, he searched for, and found a beautiful way to honour her. The Wisconsin native built a small wooden library, filled it with books and placed it outside his home. His neighbours loved it and began making little libraries of their own. A friend, Rick Brooks, picked up on it, began promoting the libraries, and the idea took off. The two have set a goal to create more libraries than Andrew Carnegie and they are well on their way as the idea has now spread to over 30 states and 20 countries including Algiers and Afghanistan.
The libraries do more than just share books. They also foster a sense of community. Those who visit them say they are meeting and talking to neighbours more than ever before. There is no shortage of willingness to share building materials and ideas as well as books. There are no membership cards, late fees or due dates, just a love of reading. And at a time when many libraries have been forced to close for good, these little libraries are always open.
The little libraries are conversation starters as no two are eactly alike. Creativity is on display as they are made to look like schoolhouses, canoes, mailboxes, beehives and birdhouses. They have been made from old cranberry crates and metal milk cartons, and some have been built using debris from Hurricane Katrina or from an old farmhouse. There are many pictures at this link:
http://www.google.com/....
The concept is similar to that of the penny- need a book, take a book, have a book, give a book. And there is no need to worry about theft, after all, you can't steal something that is free!
This link takes you to a video and news report from CTV news on a Little Free Library here in Canada. After a brief commercial, ( sorry about that ) Bol and Brooks talk about the project and a Calgary woman shows off her new little library:
http://www.ctv.ca/...
Here is their website showing locations of Little Free Libraries and giving information on how to start one. What a lovely way to honour someone, by sharing a love of reading with your neighbours!:
http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/