Sometimes you need a Tom Clancy thriller for the airport, a classic storybook to put the kids to sleep or a random guide to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to kindle those dreams about quitting the office job. For that there are Little Free Libraries – baby-sized bibliotecas people put outside their homes to spread literacy among the community.
The nonprofit organization Little Free Library – which is based in Minnesota and sports the motto, “Take a Book. Share a Book.” – has gone from a handful since its 2012 incorporation to more than 150,000 registered libraries in roughly 120 countries. You’ll often notice them on walks or bike rides, nestled in the neighborhood fabric like birdhouses stuffed with a Craigslist free-pile’s worth of old literature. But if you’re having trouble finding one around you – or just want to explore all the cool, hand-decorated libraries in the area – check out the Little Free Library World Map, which plots the entire galaxy of this charmingly benign enterprise.
