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 network—now more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries strong! Watch the one-minute video to see how Little Free Libraries work and learn how you can start a little library, too.
We also recommend using the Little Free Library mobile app or web map to find a Little Free Library near you. Stop by and chat with the volunteer steward of that library and ask for their advice as you get started.
How to Get Started
1. 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.
2. Get a Library
You can build your own Little Free Library following any design you like; find someone locally to build one for you; or purchase a library through Little Free Library’s online store. Libraries purchased through our online store are automatically registered and come with a charter sign included.
3. Register Your Library
Register by purchasing an official charter sign. If you buy a Little Free Library from our online store, it will automatically come registered with a charter sign included. If you build your own book-sharing box, register it by purchasing a charter sign. After you register, you gain access to a network of benefits just for stewards, such as the option to set up your steward account and list your library on the Little Free Library mobile app and web map.
4. Set Up Your Steward Account
After you purchase your Little Free Library or charter sign, you will receive an email with a link to set up your steward account. Once you have set up your steward account, you have the option to add your library’s location to the world map and manage all of its details in real time. Your library will not appear on the map unless you add it. To map your library, log in to your steward account through the Little Free Library app or steward web portal, fill in your library’s information, and set its Map Status to Mapped.
5. Build Community Support
Get your community involved! Tell your friends, family, and neighbors in person. Use social media to engage your community. Hold a Grand Opening Ceremony and invite your neighbors to kick off the library in style with a ribbon cutting, snacks, and books freely exchanged! Contact the local paper, radio, and TV stations. Send out a press release. The more people who know about your library and support it, the better.
Follow Us on Instagram for Library Ideas and Inspiration
The librarians at Ramsey County Library, serving us here in the Twin Cities, created a wonderful list of book recommendations: Celebrating Somali Americans in Minnesota and Beyond.
Find a book to read or even share in a Little Free Library! We especially love THE PROUDEST BLUE, which is one of the diverse books featured in our Read in Color program 🩵
Check out our Read in Color Recommended Reading lists at the link in our bio.
📸: @_josephinealonzo, @storiesbeyondlimits, @akd.visuals
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Good tidings to you wherever you are 💝
Find a Little Free Library near you by downloading our free mobile app at the link in our bio.
📸: @loriwaylittlelibrary
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Let it snow (so we can stay in and read)❄️
Shop the Two Story Shed Little Free Library (pictured here) and more at the link in our bio.
📸: @thedailyreader_
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“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
See other cool library designs by signing up for our email newsletter at the link in our bio.
📸: @rides.and.reads
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Reading in a winter wonderland! ❄️
Shop the Mini Shed Little Free Library (pictured here) and more at the link in our bio.
📸: @ataleoftwolitties
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It`s #GivingTuesday! In times like these—when our world feels uncertain and divided—access to books, stories, and shared understanding matters more than ever. Little Free Library is helping bridge those divides, one neighborhood book exchange at a time. Your tax-deductible gift supports programs that bring books and book-sharing boxes to communities that need them the most. Please give a gift today (link in bio). Thank you!
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December book giveaways are open! 📚
Enter at the link in our bio.
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What`s the last book you found in a Little Free Library?
Keep track of the libraries you visit and books you take and share using our free mobile app! Download at the link in our bio.
📸: @littlefreelove
🏠: #106984
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