Member-only story
Little Free Diverse Library
This is part of a weekly series I’m publishing during COVID-19
Just last year, we decided to procure, build and install a Little Free Library at the front sidewalk leading up to our home. The library itself is made of composite material and I didn’t like the round post it came with so I decided to go out to my local hardware store and procure the wood, bolts and cedar posts and make a stand myself. It was hot in the Texas heat but I recall digging a hole about 2 feet deep and filling it with a solid cement base. I think it turned out quite nice as you can see below:
At the time, I recall being a little nervous. My upfront investment was probably $400 but in some ways, I saw it as a test of humanity. Would the library get vandalized? Would people put inappropriate content inside? Would it even get used?
A year later, I’m happy to report that the library has been very frequently used. We live on a street with a lot of foot and bike traffic and have seen all sorts of useful items appear in our library, for example:
- Coloring Books
- Hand sanitizer
- Stress relieving toys
- Kids’ toys/trinkets
- And of course, books — lots and lots of books