Start Your Own Little Free Library
Little Free Library Story from Beargrass Media on Vimeo.
If you want to start a Little Free Library book exchange, you’re in the right place. We’re excited to have you join the worldwide network of over 40,000 Little Free Libraries!
First, take a look over the World Map to see if there is already a Little Library in your neighborhood. If there is, stop by and chat with the Library steward and ask for their advice as you get started.
How to Get Started: Five Easy Steps!
Step One: Identify a Location & Steward
First decide where you can legally and safely install the Library. The location should also have a lot of foot traffic and be highly visible to anyone nearby. Then identify at least one person to be the steward (steward = caretaker); this person promotes the Library and makes sure it is clean and inviting.
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Step Two: Get a Library
You can build your own Little Library, find someone locally to build one for you, or purchase a Library through our online catalog. Libraries purchased through Little Free Library, Ltd. are automatically registered.
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Step Three: Register Your Library
When you register, you gain access to network of support and benefits, including an official charter sign engraved with a unique charter number. Important: Libraries purchased through our online catalog are automatically registered and a charter sign is included with the Library. One of the most popular benefits of registration is the option to add your Library to the world map.
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Step Four: Build Support
Get your community involved! Contact the local paper, radio and TV stations. Send out a press release. Tell your friends, family and neighbors in-person. Use social media to engage your community with the Library and be sure to follow Little Free Library’s blog for insider tips and resources. The more people who know about your Library and support it, the better.
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Step Five: Add Your Library to the World Map
Once you have installed your Library, be sure to hold a Grand Opening Ceremony and invite all of your friends and neighbors to kick off the Library in style! Have a ribbon cutting, provide snacks and exchange books. Take lots of photos and add your Library to the world map so that anyone can easily find your Library.
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Need Inspiration?
Check out these inspiring Little Free Library designs!
“My Library keeps me young and my spirit alive…being a steward has given me a whole new direction. I would advise anyone to jump in with both feet and get started.”
– Sandy Freel, Little Library #29524
Steward Stories: Is It Worth It? What Are Your First Steps?
Who Would Vandalize a Little Free Library?
Why would anyone vandalize a Little Free Library? I set out to shed some light on the culprits behind Little Free Library vandalism. I talked to several stewards who had dealt with vandalism, and each one actually discovered who had committed the crime. As it turns out, when someone damages a Library …
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Steward Rhonda Adams Got 150 People to Attend her Library’s Grand Opening (and She Shares Exactly How She Did It!)
Rhonda managed to get around 150 people to attend her Little Free Library’s Grand Opening and just about the whole town knew about it, which is one of the most wildly successful events we’ve heard of! She didn’t do anything crazy or exceptional, either. In fact, she followed a simple series of steps that just about anyone can take.
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A Little Free Library in a Zoo!
See how a Little Free Library in a Rhode Island Zoo impacts hundreds of children and adults each day. Plus, some tips from the audacious steward on how to get a Library started in your own organization.
read more“I came out of my house today to see these kids in front of my Little Free Library. It made my heart happy.
The best part of this photo is that these three boys are struggling readers at school, so just the fact that they stopped to read is very poignant for me.
It just makes this mean so much more.”
– Kate Glinsmann, steward of Library #12125
Our Favorite Resources For Beginners
How to Turn a Newspaper Vending Box into a Little Free Library
One of the most creative and cost-effective ways to start a Little Free Library is convert an old newspaper dispenser into a Library. With the internet delivering news to millions of people these days, a lot of news companies have stopped selling their newspapers...
read more Steward Rhonda Adams Got 150 People to Attend her Library’s Grand Opening (and She Shares Exactly How She Did It!)
Rhonda managed to get around 150 people to attend her Little Free Library’s Grand Opening and just about the whole town knew about it, which is one of the most wildly successful events we’ve heard of! She didn’t do anything crazy or exceptional, either. In fact, she followed a simple series of steps that just about anyone can take.
read more
Got Little Free Library Envy? Start Here.
Does this sound familiar? “I remember the exact day I found out about Little Free Libraries. I fell in love; I knew I wanted one right away. The trouble is, I didn’t know where to start.” This post will show you some easy ways to start plus some resources you probably didn’t know about.
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