Little Free Libraries

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 2, 2012 at 7:46

I was talking to someone who works in the library service in Sutton last week. They have a very talented and very junior member of staff who has been doing some great things along these lines. For instance, she took 50 old books that were due to be pulped, put library joining form in them and (with the permission of the supermarket) slotted them in among the cornflakes and baked beans in the local Tesco Express. Result - one week later, 20 new members!

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Permalink Reply by Liz on March 2, 2012 at 10:10

That sounds like a brilliant idea. I'm in the Friends of SG&H library and I'll take that idea to them. If there are any more great ways of attracting folk, I'd love to hear them.

What I liked about the little libraries was the lovely little boxes built. The Americans have a tradition of that kind of free distribution for newspapers and they've adapted it. I guess that gardens and roadsides might be risking it in urban spaces but public places like GP surgeries, community centres, local shops or cafes would be good places. It sort of works in pubs here.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 2, 2012 at 10:58

Another one (same person). She worked with some of the younger library users to make a bookcase from cardboard boxes, decorated and painted by the children, then filled it with withdrawn books and set it up in entrance of the local shopping mall. All taken by the end of the day and more new library members.

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