When Books Are So Plentiful They're Free - Could A Miniature Library Be A Success In Your Neighborhood?
I love the idea of turning under-utilized phone booths into mini-libraries. @kus-knee shares some examples of these projects here.
Of course, this project will work better in some neighborhoods than others. Here in New England, I've seen several mini-libraries like this popping up. Some are just a couple of shelves in a wooden box mounted on a pole, and then finished in trim and shingles to look like a cute dollhouse.
The sad truth is, they'll probably fare better in places where people already have access to books. In low-income areas suffering from poverty and illiteracy - that is, in places where access to books might do some good - they're more likely to suffer from theft and vandalism.
Via Google Images, labeled for re-use.
But maybe (hopefully) not. The fact is, a stolen book isn't really worth that much to anyone. At least in the US, the value of most used books has dropped to zero. Millions of older titles are available on Amazon for a penny plus shipping.
I know that I, for one, have spent more money and energy over the past several years geting rid of books than I've spent acquiring them. Crazy, I know! If you'd told me twenty years ago that I'd be trying to rid myself of cartons and cartons of books, I'd have thought you insane. But ebook reading and several hard, laborious relocations have changed my attitude. Books are heavy, and keeping them around just because I might want to read them again someday isn't rational.
Our local dump has a swap-shop where people can leave stuff in decent condition that they think other people might like to use. I've gotten typewriters, furniture, a stereo, and glassware there. But mostly what people drop off and browse in this shed are books. I could literally read for the rest of my life from the titles that pass through that shed. Sometimes it's a shame, because when the books pile up beyond a certain point the dump employees have to chuck the overflow in with the recycling. But I'm glad to live in a time of over-abundance than scarcity.
People still go to Barnes & Noble or an independent bookstore if they want to browse for new titles. As an aspiring author, I sincerely hope these businesses keep doing their thing for a long, long time. The public libraries I frequent also seem to be busy and well-utilized. I love a library book because I know just what I'm going to do with it when I'm finished: bring it back to the library. Library books aren't going to pile up in my house, contributing to clutter and weighing me down. I suspect that many library clientele are like minded minimalists. Plus, public libraries benefit from the expertise of librarians - professional curators who ensure their selections remain useful and current.
These little free libraries are more about serendipity and unexpected discovery - much like the swap shop at my local dump. Considered from that angle, the worst that could happen to them is their books are stolen, or they get vandalized. If the books are stolen, no big deal. They'll probably get replenished by neighbors in pretty short order. In fact, I suspect they might suffer from the problem of getting stuffed with more books than they can hold. And as for vandalism, well, we already face that threat every time we put up a street sign or park a municipal bus on the lot overnight.
If sharing books is as valuable as sharing transportation, it's worth the attempt. The take-one leave-one approach seems like a gentle way for neighbors to interact with each other and foster a sort of community that's all too rare these days. While used books are essentially worthless from an economic standpoint, they retain tremendous intellectual value. This makes them uniquely suited for an experiment in sharing. And it might be interesting to ponder which neighbor took your book, and consider that you had a role in their reading experience.
Lots of information about these libraries - including plans for building your own - can be found at https://littlefreelibrary.org/.
In some ways, the library system has moved into the digital age. Not that I want the libraries to close, but these days you can read much online. The new generation does not have the mental block against using electronic reading devices, although I wish they would adopt E-ink technologies more.
I had so many books. When I sold my last house, I gave some to charities. In this current house, the pipes burst in the ceiling over the spare room, which was filled with boxes. Records, CDs, and books. While the books survived, I decided to sort once again.
I gave more than half to Hospice, and repacked the non-fiction, and the small amount of fiction favourites I kept. I still cannot part with all my books just yet, even though I read on a e-reader. :)
When I was a kid I dreamed of having a house with a floor-to-ceiling library with rolling ladders and the whole bit. Funny how that's changed after so many moves.
What E-ink device to you recommend? I had the original Nook - a terrible under-powered Frankenstein of a device. Most of the devices I see now have screens not much bigger than a phone, but I would like an experience a little closer to paper.
A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?
- Albert Einstein
The idea is nice, but I don't think these mini-libraries would be a success in the areas where they'd be more needed. At least in the city I live in they wouldn't...
I can relate with your getting rid of books problem. We've got books stuffed in drawers all over the house, mine mostly, because the kids still have their own bookshelves. I still buy tons of books, especially for the little one, although soon it will be time for him to get his own kindle...
I love books, especially big bulky art books! But they scare me also, since they literally weigh you down... It's more complicated when it's not just a case of reading and passing along. I've stopped buying reading books for the most part, but I wouldn't have an issue with leaving them at a miniature library even if they did get 'stolen', not the same with art books however.
An art book is something I'd be inclined to browse much more often. Plus, they're expensive!
Hi Winston,
I think books have the power to change people's lives... but the likelihood that people will pick up a book and read it with understanding is low.
I still like the idea of the free libraries, though. We have a few in our downtown area. Not sure how much they are used, but we have used them a few times.
I also have accumulated a large number of books and have been trying to get rid of the ones we don't want. The trouble is figuring out what books we want to keep.
I know! I've been doing a lot of purging/minimizing over the past few years and books can be one of the hardest things to let go.
I love this idea so much. Sharing is the way to go, to create stronger communities.
The British phone booths have been given a new lease of life as libraries too, especially in villages where thr old red ones add a sense of tradition
That's so cool to hear. Hard to imagine London without those phone booths.
Books still do very well in our shop. But you do have to be careful what you put out for sale. Non-fiction does well, and with fiction, the titles have to be from well known authors. I have noticed the more disadvantaged sectors of our population tend to go for books with "knowledge" to be gained, which is eye-opening.
Interesting! "Literary" types tend to forget that when the printing press first came out, people were a lot more interested in how-to books than novels.