Little Free Library’s Indigenous Library Program provides no-cost Little Free Library boxes full of books to Indigenous communities with limited book access. This month we heard from a steward who was previously granted a library through our Indigenous Library Program and wanted to share their story.
Additionally, we granted 25 Indigenous Library Packages to applicants from schools, libraries, and nonprofit organizations in July.
Christina G. — #120893 in Hacienda Heights, CA
“Stewarding our Little Free Indigenous Library has shown me how meaningful a small, intentional space can be for families who are navigating healing and transition. Our library sits within the Edible Healing Garden inside the Pediatrics Violence Intervention Program Clinic Hub at Los Angeles General Medical Center. This pocket green space is one of the few calm, culturally grounded areas available to the families we serve.
“What has surprised me most is how naturally families choose to join in. When they step into the garden, they slow down. They sit with their babies, breathe a little deeper, and explore the books at their own pace. Some families read together under the shade; others simply enjoy being surrounded by plants, color, and stories that reflect their cultures. The space invites participation without pressure, and families respond by making it their own.
“The books in our Little Free Indigenous Library—Indigenous stories, bilingual children’s books, plant medicine guides, and culturally rooted literature—offer representation in a medical environment where it is often missing. Watching families enjoy the garden and choose to engage with the library has shown me that this space is more than a collection of books. It is a place of grounding, dignity, and connection.
“Our pocket green space and Little Free Indigenous Library have made a difference by giving families the option to join in—to rest, to read, to reconnect with themselves and each other during a vulnerable moment in their lives. It has become a gentle refuge for families moving from hospital life back into everyday life.”
Help us bring Little Free Libraries full of books where they’re needed most. Donate today! When you donate, you help us provide libraries to communities like these.