A little free library or also known as a “mini town square,” is a take a book return a book, free book exchange.  It is a registered non-profit organization based in Hudson, Wisconsin.

This exchanged started in 2009 by Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin. He set up a small wooden container to look like a one-room schoolhouse on a post in his lawn and filled it with books as a tribute to his mother, who was a book lover and a school teacher. Bol shared his Idea with his partner, Rick Brooks, the idea spread rapidly and became a global sensation. The Little Free Library became an official non-profit organization in 2012.

The point of these Little Free Libraries is to help spread the love of reading, literacy, creativity and building friendly communities. The Free Libraries come many different shapes and sizes, they are most commonly made out of wood. They are usually placed by parks, schools, stores or just about anywhere people pass by. Their motto is take a book, return a book. Anyone is welcome to take a book, when they are done they can bring it back or bring other books to share. These books can travel around the world and sometimes if the book has a code in it you can track it.

Both kids and adults love them, you never know what new cool book you might find inside. What makes these things successful is the volunteers, and care takers, who watch over them and make sure no damage or harm is brought to the Little Free Libraries.

If you want to join the many people beginning these Little Free Libraries you can either choose to order one already made on the little free libraries website or you can make one on your own. If you do choose to make one at home, though, the founders encourage you to purchase a charter number so that it gets registered and put on the free library’s world map. The charter number can also be purchased on the Little Free Libraries website.   

As of november 2016 there have been over fifty thousand registered Little Free Libraries in all fifty states in the U.S and over seventy countries all over the world.

If you want to check one of these out you can go online to http://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/ and find one near you.