Free Books at 430 Polk St

The Little Free Library didn’t happen as I had hoped, but it is now a reality! 

After the box arrived, I painted it, and my brother worked to get the post deep in the ground and attach the case. That was a tough job!  

There is an official Little Free Library organization. So we registered with them so we could get on the map and qualify to get free books. I also signed up to get the Little Free Library steward newsletter. A steward is responsible for circulating the books and tending to the bookcase. So I could hear about what other stewards are doing to promote their libraries and keep new books circulating.  

I must admit, once I put the books out with a sign explaining the process, I waited at the window to see if there would be any movement. I posted on the NextDoor, so many neighbors who follow that app would understand the small colorful library case and how it works.  

The process seems simple, and the Little Free Library uses the phrase “Take a book, Leave a book,” but as we found out, it may not be as simple as we thought. So here is the story: Mom, my brother, and I were eating dinner one night when the doorbell rang. And there were a couple of young ladies with a stroller and maybe three elementary school-age children. One of the young ladies asked if the books were for sale, and I quickly answered, “No, they are free!”. The young lady was Hispanic and had a recognizable accent. We both smiled, and I went back inside so they could peruse the library.

I came in happy, thinking this family would enjoy a few of my carefully selected thirty-four books. The following day, my new routine included taking the list of books in the case and checking to see what books were gone so I could replace them. 

To my surprise, ALL the books were gone! I hurried back in to tell my brother, and all he said to me was, “You told them they were free!” I have a camera focused on the front yard, so I went back and viewed the footage, and sure enough, the two young ladies took every last title in the case. We discussed the situation for a bit. We concluded that if the young women couldn’t understand the instructions and had to ask, then me saying they were free could have led to them taking all the books.

Each book has an ink stamp on the inside cover that states the books are “a gift and never sold.” That wording on the ink stamp is also in English. Given the neighborhood’s demographics, we need everything in English and Spanish. I had not considered this. So we translated the instructions into Spanish along with the English version. We also put a sticker on the front of each book in English and Spanish. The sticker says, “This book is property of the Little Free Library system and is for sharing and is never to be sold.” We have not had another incident of an empty case :-). Truthfully, even if we did, I would fill it up again.

We have shared twenty-plus book titles (I am not counting the thirty-four). There is also a notepad and a pen in the box, and patrons can make requests, and I have had a few. Currently, the “Dogman” series is a favorite. 

I never expected to become a librarian, but I have become captivated with the Little Free Library at 430 Polk St.