Librarian Transforms 110-Year-Old Tree into Jaw-Dropping Little Free Library

By Margret Aldrich

Talk about a “giving tree”! When a 110-year-old cottonwood tree in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, needed to be removed, Sharalee Armitage Howard—a librarian, artist, and bookbinder—transformed it into an amazing Little Free Library. Now, instead of providing shade, the tree will share books.

The not-so-little Library, which stands in Sharalee’s front yard, features inviting stone steps, a sloped roof, a large green door, and warm interior and exterior lights. The details of the Library are exquisite, with miniature wooden books—like Call of the Wild and Nancy Drew—trimming the entrance. It is registered with the Little Free Library nonprofit organization, charter #82068, and can be found on our world map.

Since Sharalee posted photos of her Little Free Library in December, the public librarian’s creation has gone viral, with her images being shared tens of thousands of times and stories appearing in My Modern MetBored PandaLaughing SquidBoing Boing, and more. In fact, the whole world seems to be taking notice of her tree stump turned Little Free Library—from France and Greece to Turkey and Tunisia!

Get a closer look at Sharalee’s awesome Little Free Library by watching KREM’s video below. (Looking for more creative Little Libraries? Follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter!)

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