How to set up a small free library

There’s just something about walking through a neighborhood and seeing a library across the street. You know them: the small wooden boxes with glass doors and books in them. At this point it’s hard to remember a time when they didn’t exist. Although they haven’t been around that long. The first was in 2009. According to Little Free Library, the nonprofit organization that helps people set up and manage such libraries. Fifteen years later, there are more than 175,000 registered Little Free Libraries.

If you wish your neighborhood had a library like this, good news: They’re not difficult to set up. I contacted Mary Aldrich, the director of communications at Little Free Library. She told me that these boxes can help bring a community together.

“When we talk to Little Free Library administrators, 72 percent say they have met more neighbors because of their Little Free Library and 98 percent of people say their neighborhood feels like a friendlier place because of a Little Free Library,” says Aldrich. She recommended that future little librarians take a look their official website for more information on how to get started, but here’s an overview.

See if there are libraries near you

Before you go all the way into starting a library, it’s worth checking if there isn’t already one nearby. I would start checking the official map, which includes all registered Little Free Libraries. Maybe there’s a library down the street that you didn’t know about.

Of course, just because there is already a library in the area doesn’t mean you can’t set one up. Different libraries have the flexibility to focus on different things; for example, yours might only offer science fiction books. Or you can offer something completely different.

“We encourage those with a Little Free Library book sharing box to help meet the needs of the community,” Aldrich said. “For most, that means sharing books for all ages, but especially for young readers. For others, that means sharing knitting supplies, Hot Wheels cars or albums.” She added that some stewards even offered toilet paper, food and face masks in 2020.

Make sure you can set up such a library legally. If you settle on your own property, you usually won’t know anything, but some cities or homeowners associations may place restrictions on these types of structures.

If you want to set up the library on a piece of land that you do not own, you will need permission. For example, if you want to locate in a park, you can contact your city’s parks department. If you wish to settle in a private space, you must contact the person or company that owns the land and obtain permission.

Build or buy a library

Once you know where you want to place your library, it’s time to actually build or purchase the library itself. Building requires some carpentry skills, but I’m not qualified to help you with that. For what it’s worth, Little Free Library offers free blueprints for building your own library on the Little Free Library website.

If carpentry isn’t your thing, that’s possible too buy a library starting at about $200 for something that isn’t finished (which means you have to paint it). Finished wood costs about $400, or you can opt for composite materials (which don’t require as much maintenance).

Register your library

Once you’ve set up your library, go to the registration page to add your library to the public map of free libraries. Every Little Free Library requires a Charter Sign to be registered; if you buy a library from Little Free Library it comes with a Charter Sign, otherwise you can buy one for $50.

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from building a library yourself and not registering it, but if you do, your library won’t be added to the official map. But there’s more than that: “You’ll also get access to monthly book giveaways, discounted books, consultation hours with our Steward Services manager, and a private Facebook Support Group,” Aldrich told me.

And that’s it! People in your community can now borrow books or anything else and add them to the library. Hopefully this will make your neighborhood a better place to live.