Save the Little Free Library

Libraries don't have to be buildings to be a great destination. I love my neighborhood Little Free Libraries. I pass by two on the same street when I run. Normally I prefer to exercise in a gym because of allergies, but I'm training for the Hot Chocolate Run 5K on March 1st in downtown Seattle. Otherwise I would might have never found those two libraries!

Here is a book I got from one of them recently.

In return, I dropped off about five books that I've read for book clubs over the years that I didn't care to keep. I made sure I picked good quality, popular titles (because of the librarian in me!). I just didn't enjoy them personally. Hopefully someone else will!

Also, this Little Free Library in Greenlake wins the award for best thing ever.

I've seen some news stories recently (here and here) about cities banning little free libraries in communities. This is so incredibly heartbreaking. If you live in one of these communities, go talk to your city council members. Let them know how libraries, in any shape or form, make a community better. Here are a few steps:

1. Find out who your city council district representative is and schedule an appointment.
2. Know your stuff. Bring facts about how literacy transforms a community. ALA.org can help you there.
3. Bring examples of other communities that have successful Little Free Libraries. Seattle has them everywhere! Search the news, find pictures, gather stories.
4. Get others in the community involved. If the city council member has twenty of their constituents come to them and tell them that city ordinances should be changed to allow little free libraries, that will make a greater impact than just one person.

Good luck and remember that you have a voice!

Best,
Amanda

Gift Ideas for Library Lovers

Donate a book in their name

Do you have someone in your life that sees their local library as the destination? Here are some ideas for gifts as the holidays roll around. 

CC Credit: Bob AuBuchon

This is a good gift for the person who has it all or otherwise claims that they "don't need anything." Every library is different about taking donated books, so ask before you go out and buy something. Even if your local library does not accept book donations for the collection (which is common for large library systems), you may be able to pay for a new, popular book through the Friends of the Library.

Make/buy them a Little Free Library

CC Credit: Flickr user, Thank you for visiting my page

Another gift that gives to others! These little libraries are great for the community. You can paint it or leave it for them to decorate, and put it somewhere in their neighborhood. Check out the Little Free Library website for more information.

Library themed clothing

You can click on the above images to find out where to purchase them. There is a lot more where this came from, too. A great place to look is etsy.com.

Book scented candle

Don't you love the smell of old books!? Did you know there is a reason for that? I found this video that explains the science behind the smell.

Pay for a card of a neighboring library

Portland Public Library, Maine, CC Credit: Brian Herzog

This is great for avid readers and people in books clubs. You might not be able to get the book you want when you want it at your library, but you may be able to find it at a neighboring library. Out of residency fees for cards can run anywhere from $25-$200 a year.

New eReader/Tablet

I love downloading library eBooks. Maybe your library lover will too! The best devices at this moment, in my opinion, are the Amazon Kindles. If you also want to watch videos (some libraries offer services like Hoopla or IndieFlix that stream videos too), I suggest the Kindle Fire. Me, I prefer the E ink Kindles. They are easy to read and easy to load with titles. If you are an Apple family, the iPads work really well with library eBooks as well.

Hopefully that helped you cross someone off your list!

Best,
Amanda