The Best Thing About Having a Little Free Library
[image description: My bright blue little free library, stocked full of books. A little free library is a freestanding box, usually in a yard, that serves as a community lending library.]
At the end of September, on a Saturday night around 11pm, my husband was sitting on the couch when he suddenly heard CRASH right in front of our house. Outside, he saw a beat-up sedan pulling off to the side of the street and two guys running in different directions. A closer look at my husband’s truck revealed it was a hit and run.
One whole front corner of his truck was busted. The driver’s side door was bent so badly it wouldn’t open, the headlight was gone, and the truck’s internal organs were in a million pieces in the road. The sedan hit his truck so hard that the truck was knocked several feet onto the curb. We were pissed that the driver didn’t take responsibility for the damage, but relieved that no one was in or near the truck when it was hit.
Over the next week came all the annoying, tedious things you have to do to get a vehicle fixed, one of which was getting an insurance adjuster to come out and assess the damage. After the adjuster looked things over and made a report, we noticed him looking longingly at our little free library. Finally, Mr. Off the Beaten Shelf said, “Take a book if you want! We’ve got plenty.”
The guy hesitantly opened the door and looked around. Then his eyes lit up and he grabbed Fishing Through the Apocalypse: An Angler's Adventures in the 21st Century by Matthew L. Miller. He said he’s not a big reader but he’s been wanting to read more and has been looking for books that would hold his attention. He likes fishing, so was thrilled to see a book about it.
Even though the little free library is in our front yard, it’s so close to our house that if we see someone looking at books we try not to stare at them because we don’t want to creep them out! I have to remind myself not to stare, though, because I’m usually bouncing up and down saying, “There’s someone at the library! YAY!” So it was rewarding to finally get to witness the joy of someone finding the perfect book from our little library right before our eyes.
I know little free libraries have been critiqued because they purportedly help get books to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access, yet they’re mostly found in middle and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. I acknowledge that they’re not actually a solution to book deserts and are a sign of privilege since I can afford to just give books away, though having one does bring me joy. And seeing the books we put in there bring joy to others is the best thing about having a little free library.
