My Free Little Libraries, Art Galleries, Pantries

In 2017, I took a class on Blog Writing through UCSD Extension. The instructor knew I was a retired librarian and mentioned how she had discovered Little Free Libraries during her neighborhood walks around La Jolla, California. The concept intrigued me.

It turned into my one of my early posts, Taking Books to the People, Part 1: Little Free Libraries and was part of a class assignment. Since then I have discovered that Little Free Library concept has expanded.

Little Free Library converted to Little Free Pantry during COVID near Charlottesville, VA

Although the Little Free Libraries, operate on the idea of Bring One/Take One, a few neighborhoods have opened up subject based LFLs based upon local needs. In Norfolk, VA, author Rosean Lindsay, has set up a LFL on bullying, including some of his own books.

I was surprised to find out that some public libraries feel like LFLs are in direct competition with them, while some municipalities want to cut out funding public libraries because of Little Free Libraries. The American Library Association did an article in 2018 on whether LFL compliment or compete with libraries.

Unfortunately, it looks as if Little Free Libraries may have become part of libraries targeted by book banners. Found on a webpage, some LFL may have become targets because they contain books that have been banned in local school or public libraries.

In Hanover County, Virginia, a Girl Scout Gold Award Project winner had her proposed description censored because her project “Banned Book Nooks” which granted kids across the county access to pieces of literature the school board removed from school shelves, was a direct response to actions by the local school board. During her acceptance speech, she read her original description.

Eagle Scout Projects have included several Little Free Libraries and even a few Free Little Art Galleries.

Little Free Art Galleries. (FLAG) — “is like a Little Free Library, but for small artworks instead of books. If you see something in the gallery you like, take it home. Or create something you want to share, and leave it for someone else to take away and love.

An important difference between Little Free Libraries and FLAGs is that people who put a book into a Little Free Library, generally didn’t write the book themselves. FLAGs are about encouraging people to create art.”

During Covid, I noticed blogs about Little Free Food Pantry, “The mini pantry movement is a grassroots, crowdsourced solution
to immediate and local need. Whether a need for food or a need to give,
mini pantries help feed neighbors, nourishing neighborhoods.”

All three segments of the Little Free neighborhood based organizations have websites with maps to find locations so you can determine if one is in your neighborhood. My limited research indicates that they share a concept rather than an overarching organization. A cursory search did not reveal any other Little Free movements like clothes or toys.