Little Libraries are a Big Bonus

Do you love books as much as I do? Even if you don’t, please keep reading because this is the tale of tiny libraries connecting people all over the world.

As I began typing this post I had the vague recollection that I had written about little libraries before. Or had I merely intended to? I scrolled back through older blog posts and realized that I posted about these libraries more than seven years ago, and with only one photo. Clearly it is time for an update.

Seven years ago I discovered a Little Free Library while walking near my parents’ house. The tiny house had books inside and a number on it. Enchanted, I threw on my Lois Lane hat and began digging online for the story. I wondered how long these libraries existed, who started them, and how many there were.

The Little Free Library program is a nonprofit designed to give people access to books if they do not have a library near where they live. Each Little Free Library has its own number, entered into a database, and mapped for readers to use. This allows people to search for free books nearby. Here is the link: https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap.

I have many photos of Little Free Libraries I have found over the last seven years. I am not including them all, but here are a few highlights: 

We found this one by accident while in Port Elizabeth, Maine.

Found on a twisty road in Glendale, near Los Angeles.

The Little Free Library program began in 2009 when Tod Bol of Wisconsin built a miniature library to share books with others. In 2012 the nonprofit was established. There are more than 100,000 Little Free Libraries in more than 100 countries around the world. I am delighted that this program is so much larger than I would have guessed. There are building plans available online if you want to create your own Little Free Library, and there are also mini libraries not officially registered with the organization. The libraries are as diverse as the books inside them: many have shingled roofs and real doors, but some have an open air design. Some are colorful and decorated with mosaic or paint, while others are more subdued. All are wonderful.

I am lucky to have a branch library less than a mile from home, and one of the things I have missed during quarantine is the ability to check out books. In the last week I have visited seven Little Free Libraries (the furthest being three miles from our house). I took two books and left some that my kids wanted to donate. For years I have taken photos of Little Free Libraries, with the intention of blogging about them at some point.

My love of reading dates back to my early childhood. We regularly visited our local library, as well as other library branches throughout the city. There were free movies shown on actual film reels, there were craft sessions, and of course, books. I still remember how the pages of the books smelled like the Eucalyptus trees outside our local library. As a child I was shy, and reading was a favorite pastime. Another of my hobbies was playing with our dollhouse, which my parents bought from a man who had built it for his daughter. After she outgrew it, it became ours. I loved the imaginary world I could create in the dollhouse. Miniature foods, furniture and accessories were enchanting. I think one reason I love Little Free Libraries is because they look like dollhouses—filled with books—and are a nostalgic connection to my childhood.

Some Little Free Libraries are made from upcycled bookcases, wooden crates or other materials. I have seen phone booths repurposed into Little Free Libraries. But many are handmade by book lovers, and some look like a smaller version of the house behind them. Some are in parks or in commercial areas. I saw one in a mall. But they all demonstrate a sharing attitude, and I love finding one by accident.

The photos below are Little Free Libraries I have not seen in person but which deserve a nod:

How imaginative is this mini library in Spokane, WA?

In New York City.

Modeled after the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee, WI.
Such detail!

Major charm in Salem, OR.

Reading with "Rosie the Robot" in Horace, ND

It’s been fun to share these delightful libraries with you. Hope you enjoyed it, too!

Art in the Age of Lockdown

Bragging alert: I am about to go on about how amazing my students are.

But first, a side note: I wrote this blog post a month ago, saving it until my students turned in their final art projects. I rarely bring up political topics in this blog. I think we have so much in common as humans, and politics are divisive. But given all the pain our country is in, I want to add two sentences:

My students are all shades of the rainbow (with white kids being a small minority), and they all are worthy and full of potential. I’m not perfect but I try to treat all of them the same--and all kids need our love. 

These are the final two projects my art students did this school year, and I think they went out with a bang. Due to quarantine, these projects were posted online and the kids followed directions to create their art.

The students were given a choice to do pet portraits or a windmill and tulip scene. I told them that they could do an animal portrait if they don’t have a pet, and that breaking quarantine to go adopt a pet would not earn them extra credit. They were encouraged to find animal photos online or in books or magazines if they did not have a live animal nearby.

The pet portrait idea came to me by accident. I was thinking of projects that could be done without special supplies (only a pencil is needed). And I realized that the subject matter was literally right in front of them, since they are at home 24/7 with their pets. Furthermore, people adore their animals, and so this project would have a special meaning to the kids.

Without further ado, here is some of the creative art my students made at home in the last month:

First grader's fish. Quite impressive!

The other option my students had was to create a spring-themed drawing of windmills and tulips. I adapted this project from one I found online. In a way, it feels weird to borrow someone else’s project rather than create my own from scratch. But these strange quarantine times are not our usual mode. Maybe I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every single time. Even Julia Child must have opened up a can of soup every once in a while, right?

Anyway, back to tulips. I knew that colorful tulips would put me in a cheerful springtime mood. I hoped the kids would enjoy the project, too. I like how much variety there is within these scenes. The only requirements were to have a windmill, big tulips in the foreground and lots of color. Some of these kids really blew me away. It is clear to me that they put a lot of effort and time into their work.

In the Netherlands, windmills were used to pump water out of the lowlands back into the rivers. This allowed the lowlands to be dry enough for farming. These days there are more modern systems in place to pump water out of the lowlands, so now windmills are more of a decorative feature. But functional or decorative, can we just agree that windmills look cool?

Tulips are loved by the people of The Netherlands. The tulip flower was brought to the Netherlands in 1593 and the Dutch celebrate their favorite flower each January with National Tulip Day.

Thanks for reading and for all the supportive comments people have posted or emailed about the student art I’ve shared. Knowing that the kids’ art brightened your day during lockdown means so much. Bringing laughs or something positive to others has always made me happy.

Stay well, be safe, and I’ll see you again soon, right here, with more Adventures in Art Land.