The tiny book boxes you might spot around town — there’s a presence in every U.S. state and in over 70 countries — are meant to spread a love of reading with a simple “take a book, leave a book” approach.
But Canadian researchers Jane Schmidt and Jordan Hale contend in a recent paper that, despite good intentions, the expansion of Little Free Libraries doesn’t actually help the people who most need better access to reading materials.
What’s the problem with a Little Free Library?
Schmidt and Hale clarify there’s nothing inherently flawed about the Little Free Library idea. The issue, they say, is how the concept has proliferated.
The duo analyzed locations of Little Free Libraries in Toronto and Calgary and discovered that these book-sharing boxes are predominantly sited in wealthier, more highly educated neighborhoods. Additionally, traditional public libraries are often already present in those same communities.
This claim, highlighted by Kriston Capps at The Atlantic, stings if you’ve ever dropped off a bag of books at a neighborhood Little Free Library — or thought about putting one up yourself:
“We suggest that these data underscore the idea that [Little Free Libraries] are instances of performative community improvement, motivated more by a wish to display one’s enthusiasm for books and learning than by a sincere aim to substantially assist the community.”
Ouch.
Why free things don’t always reach those who need them
Capps also notes that ready-made Little Free Library kits aren’t budget items. The least expensive official “Mobile” Little Free Library unit, designed for an apartment lobby, starts at $69.
Registering to appear on the Little Free Library global map includes a plaque for your mini bookcase and runs about $45.
That said, many DIY or unofficial Little Free Libraries exist. Plus, the Little Free Library nonprofit runs an Impact Fund to supply free Little Free Library boxes to qualified applicants, regardless of their financial situation. Recipients agree to maintain their Little Free Library for at least a year and receive a “starter collection of books” to populate it.
If you lack private property for a book box, you need permission to install a Little Free Library before applying to the Impact Fund.
The librarians urge directing more time and resources into public library systems, including mobile outreach services.
Schmidt, despite good intentions, undercuts herself with this line during a CBC interview:
“I always say that a reluctant reader would be hard-pressed to find something appealing to them. To claim you’re improving literacy in a community that otherwise lacks book access—that’s not happening when you’re giving them the Windows 2000 manual for dummies … or self-published poetry. I don’t mean to knock self-published poetry, I’m sorry. But, we’ve all opened a Little Free Library or a book exchange, however you label them, and sometimes the titles just aren’t that great.”
While selection quality varies wildly depending on taste, Little Free Libraries and their unofficial counterparts still foster a sense of community.
They might not eliminate library deserts in underserved neighborhoods, true. But the Little Free Libraries I’ve come across have prompted conversations among neighbors at a time when urban life can feel isolating. They can encourage reading and curiosity along bus routes that traverse many different areas, affluent and not.
And they’re available around the clock, serving night-shift workers, insomniacs and nine-to-fivers alike.
What’s wrong with leaving free books for your neighbors — whoever they are — in a simple box that keeps them dry? Nothing.
Your turn: What do you think of Little Free Libraries? A wonderful initiative, or a distraction from bolstering public libraries?
If you’re interested in supporting broader literacy efforts, check out resources about free library programs and consider how to best bolster access in your community.
