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
Summer g̶r̶i̶l̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ reading 🍔
See other fun Little Free Library designs by signing up for our email newsletter at the link in our bio!
📸: @stopsstepsandsights
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
I stop for books ✋
Stop for books at a Little Free Library! Find one near you by downloading our free mobile app at the link in our bio.
📸: @thebookwormbungalow
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
Happy Juneteenth! On June 19 in the United States, we commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
Check out our Read in Color Recommended Reading list for books to stock in your neighborhood Little Free Library to mark the occasion at the link in our bio.
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #juneteenth
Sarah from Little Free Library shares one of her favorite book-sharing boxes in her neighborhood ☀️📚 Find a Little Free Library near you by downloading our free mobile app at the link in our bio! #littlefreelibrary #bookstagram #littlefreelibraryhunting #littlelibrary #bookish
Meet Todd H. Bol Award Winner Lyndsay Hogg!
“We are not in the most affluent town, so incentives like this make such a difference to morale,” Lyndsay said. Once installed, her library—“The Book Hogg”—became a local sensation, inspiring authors to drop off signed copies of their books and prompting the local council to commit to building 11 more book-sharing boxes. “I am a single mum of two boys who just wants to show them that small acts of kindness are all it takes sometimes to genuinely make a difference."
Learn more about the winners of the 2026 Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement at the link in our bio.
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #lfl #toddhbol #toddbol #toddhbolawards
The Strawberry Inn Little Free Library #102382 in Strawberry, AZ 🍓
See other cute Little Free Library designs by signing up for our email newsletter at the link in our bio!
📸: @boookstamanda
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
Meet Todd H. Bol Award Winner Paisley Deverson!
“I never knew how big of a need there was for them in my community,” Paisley said, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “I have gotten so much joy in seeing the kids come to the libraries to get their free books.”
Learn more about the winners of the 2026 Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement at the link in our bio.
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #lfl #toddhbol #toddbol #toddhbolawards
Steward Mymy P. recently opened Little Free Library #220676 in Gatineau, Québec!
"Welcome to "le Chat`pitre" !
I`ll try to translate de pun for you
Chapitre = Chapter
Chat = Cat
So Chat`pitre could be Cat`pter for you 🐾"
Find a Little Free Library wherever you are in the world by downloading our free mobile app at the link in our bio!
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
