Little Free Libraries: A Call for Research into the Tiny Book Depositories

One day, as I was leaving my favorite local bookstore, I noticed an odd structure rising out of the sidewalk. Resembling a large birdhouse, it was decorated with bottle caps and contained a small collection of books. Glancing down, I noticed a small sign bearing the name “Little Free Library,” and, since it was cute, I took a picture of the structure and went about my business. I didn’t think much about this brief encounter until a few days later when I noticed a similar construction in front of a bank. By now, I was intrigued and Googled the name as soon as I got home. As it turns out, these small book depositories are cropping up all over in all fifty states and across six continents.