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I have a problem. I cannot drive past a Little Free Library (or LFL as I call them) without stopping. Doesn’t matter how late I’m running or how annoyed Hiedi looks from the passenger seat. I run my own (Snoopy-themed, obviously) Little Free Library. I’ve hunted down tons of LFLs for videos I post everywhere, and I use pretty much every single one as an excuse to plug my own book. (#Marketing) I am a self-proclaimed expert, yet justifiably so.
So consider this the complete Little Free Library guide: the history, the actual etiquette, how to find them, and every other question people ask me – you know, because I’m an expert.
Trust me. This is coming from a guy who has now spent an unreasonable amount of his free time looking inside strangers’ yard boxes for something good to read. This is part of the same hobby that keeps feeding my 100 book reading goal for 2026. So really, this whole post is just me justifying my own behavior. Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
A (Very) Short History of Little Free Libraries
The whole thing started in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin, when a guy named Todd Bol built a tiny wooden box shaped like a one-room schoolhouse, filled it with books, and put it in his front yard as a tribute to his mom, a teacher who loved reading. That’s it. That’s the origin story. No corporate committee, no five-year strategic plan. Just a guy with a saw and some feelings.
Bol teamed up with Rick Brooks from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the two of them set a goal: beat Andrew Carnegie’s record of funding over 2,500 public libraries. They hit that number by August 2012, years ahead of schedule, and the thing basically never stopped growing after that.
- 2012: Little Free Library becomes an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- 2016: More than 50,000 libraries registered across all 50 states and dozens of countries
- 2020: A Little Free Library gets installed in Antarctica, which means this thing now exists on all seven continents. Somewhere a penguin is reading a paperback.
- Today: More than 200,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 128 countries
- Sioux Falls, SD (where I live): More than 50!
Todd Bol passed away in 2018, but the organization is still going strong out of St. Paul, Minnesota, run by a small army of volunteers and stewards (more on what a “steward” is in a second). Not bad for something that started as one man’s woodworking project.
Wanna read a fiction book ABOUT Little Lending Libraries? Check out my full review of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
Little Free Library Questions, Answered
Some of these are real questions I have been asked. Some are theoretical questions that someone SHOULD ask me, because I am an LFL expert and aficionado. But still legit questions.
What exactly IS a Little Free Library?
It’s a small, (hopefully) weatherproof box, usually mounted on a post in someone’s yard, filled with books that anyone can take for free. Think of it as a tiny, unstaffed library with zero late fees.
Do I have to leave a book to take one?
Nope. It runs on the honor system, not a strict trade. You can take a book without leaving one behind. That said, the whole thing only works because people give back eventually. So the unofficial rule is: if you take a couple books today, try to bring a couple back next time you’re out.
Are they actually free? What’s the catch?
Genuinely free. No catch, no membership, no fine print. The only “cost” is donating a book from your own library, if you choose. But hey, you probably have too many books anyway. Free up some space on your shelves.
How do I find Little Free Libraries near me?
There’s an official Little Free Library World Map and a companion app where registered libraries show up as pins you can search near your location. I’ve got a full step-by-step post (and video) coming soon that walks through exactly how I use it to plan an entire hunting route, so I’ll link that here once it’s live. Fair warning, once you see how many are within five minutes of your house, your errands are going to start taking a lot longer.
What’s the etiquette? Is there a “right” way to do this?
A few unwritten rules I try to live by:
- Take one or two, not the whole shelf. Leave something for the next person.
- Leave books in decent condition. Nobody wants your water-damaged airport thriller from 2011.
- If the box looks neglected or overstuffed, tidy it up a little. Future you, and the next hunter, will appreciate it.
- Respect that it’s on someone’s private property, even though it’s meant to be shared. Don’t loiter, don’t peek in windows, just grab your books and go.
What shouldn’t you put in a Little Free Library?
Well….any book, really. Just keep in mind – kids are likely the most frequent customers to these neighborhood libraries. If you want to drop your spicy werewolf romantasy novel there, go ahead, but know some kid is probably going to ask his Mom about it. Also note – this is not a dumping ground for damaged textbooks, expired coupon mailers, or, and I cannot believe this needs to be said, your actual trash. Yes, that happens. Stewards have seen it all.
Who takes care of these things?
Every registered library has a “steward,” which is a fancy word for “the person who built it, stocked it, and now checks on it so it doesn’t turn into a raccoon motel.” That’s me, for my Snoopy library.
Can I start my own? Do I need a permit?
You can absolutely start your own, and you don’t need a permit in most places. Officially registering it with Little Free Library gets you a charter number and a spot on the world map. Plus access to their steward resources, which is worth it if you want other hunters (like me) to actually find you. A quick heads-up though: some cities and HOAs have gotten weirdly strict about yard structures, so it’s worth a quick check of your local rules before you build. It’s rare, but it happens, and it’s always a little absurd when it does.
Any fun facts I can bring up to sound smart at a party?
- There’s one in Antarctica. Officially on all seven continents.
- The movement has inspired spinoffs like Little Free Pantries, for sharing food instead of books.
- The very first one was shaped like a one-room schoolhouse, as a tribute to a teacher.
There are so many creative Little Free Libraries out in the wild!
My Own Little Free Library (and Why I’m Obsessed With Everyone Else’s)
I’m a bit of a Snoopy nut. And a Little Free Library nut. Thus, the combination became my little lending library outside my house. I do use it occasionally to stock my own book. Usually autographed and personalized in some way. You’re welcome, neighborhood readers.
Come Watch Me Do This For a Living (Sort Of)
If any of this sounds even a little appealing, I’ve got a whole library (pun very much intended) of short Little Free Library hunt videos across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. I do a dumb voiceover over every find, and yes, I absolutely use it as an excuse to plug my book, Essays Out of Left Field, every chance I get. No shame.
Here’s one of the best (as far as book haul) Little Free Libraries I’ve ever found!
Want to see my favorite finds all in one place, plus links to the videos where I found them? Check out my Little Free Library finds roundup (coming soon.) And if you want the full step-by-step on how I plan an entire hunting route with the app, that guide is coming soon too.
Do you have a Little Free Library on your street, or run one yourself? Tell me about your best find (or your weirdest one) in the comments.
