You’ve already set up your steward account—now you’re ready to set up your Little Free Library book exchange! Follow these easy steps to pick a good location, weatherproof your library, install it, and add some fun accessories! You’ll be sharing books in no time.
Choose a Location
Put your library where it’s easy to see and access! Aim for a spot that is well lit and accessible to those with limited mobility. Consider installing it low enough for kids to open the door. Click below to get more tips.
Check out these FAQs about library placement
- Read our detailed help doc on where to place your Little Free Library.
- Are there any liability issues with starting a Little Free Library?
- How do I get my homeowner’s association to allow a Little Free Library?
- Can I install a Little Free Library on public property?
- How to make your Little Free Library accessible.
Weatherproof Your Library
Make sure you paint or stain your Little Free Library book exchange before you place it outdoors! Raw wood exposed to rain or snow will deteriorate over time. Don’t forget to protect your library post, too.
Check out these FAQs on weatherproofing your library
- Follow our tutorial on how to paint your library.
- If your area gets a lot of snow, learn how to winterize your library.
- Review our recommended maintenance for a wooden library.
- Put caulk on the seams of the library if moisture is becoming an issue.
- A dryer sheet stuck inside the library can act as a deterrent to many pests (and keep your books smelling laundry fresh)!
- A Vaseline ring around the library post can work to keep ants out—they can’t climb through the Vaseline.
- Use foam or plastic weatherstripping around the door to protect against moisture.
Install Your Library
Here are our instructions to install a library on a wooden post. Consider purchasing a library post from our online store to make installation extra easy!
Get more tips on how and where to install your library
- Check out our video that shows how to install a Little Free Library on a wooden post.
- Our mobile library installation legs are perfect for indoor libraries!
- Consider installing your library in a large flower pot or barrel. This way it’s not permanently set in the ground.
Get Free Resource Downloads
Log in to your steward account to get tons of cute downloadable resources! Printable book labels, bookmarks, stickers, signs, and more are all there! Log in to your account to download them.
Follow Us on Instagram for Little Free Library Ideas & Designs
Valentine`s Day is coming, and Little Free Library stewards are getting ready! ❤️💕💖
Find a Little Free Library near you at the link in our bio.
📸: Casa Madrigal Little Library
🏠: #216855
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
Thinking 💕PINK💕 this week!
Shop the Two Story Gable Little Free Library (pictured here) and more at the link in our bio.
📸: @meghenslittlelibrary
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #letitsnow #snow #winter #shopnow
Books are mirrors and WINDOWS 🪟
Check out our Read in Color Recommended Reading lists at the link in our bio.
📸: @windowslfl_ri
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The Sharing Saguaro in Phoenix is ON POINT 🌵
See other fun Little Free Library designs by signing up for our email newsletter at the link in our bio!
🏠: #11009
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We’ve teamed up with One World, an imprint of Random House, to bring stories of justice, identity, and hope directly into communities across the U.S. Read on to see if your city is on the list!
We’re placing 12 custom-designed Little Free Libraries, each inspired by a title from the ‘One World Essentials’ collection and placed in a community with meaningful ties to the book and/or its author. The communities and related titles are:
•Montgomery, AL – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
•Los Angeles, CA – See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur
•Oakland, CA – Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
•Atlanta, GA – All We Can Save by Katharine K. Wilkinson and Ayana Johnson
•Baltimore, MD – The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
•Baltimore, MD – Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
•Flint, MI – What the Eyes Don’t See by Dr. Mona Hanna
•Brooklyn, NY – The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
•Manhattan, NY – Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
•Ossining, NY – The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
•Philadelphia, PA – My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes
•Washington, DC – How to Be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Learn more and apply for one of these libraries on our blog (link in bio).
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram
Frosty trails and snowy tales ❄️
Find book to snuggle in with at a Little Free Library near you! Locate one using our free mobile app; download at the link in our bio.
📸: @littlefreenashua
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #letitsnow #snow #winter
February b🩷🩷k giveaways are open! 📚
Enter at the link in our bio.
#littlefreelibrary #littlelibrary #freelittlelibrary #bookstagram #giveaway #bookgiveaway
STUMPED on what to read next? 🪵 Visit a Little Free Library!
Find one near you by downloading our free mobile app at the link in our bio.
📸: @mellynn66
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