Little Free Libraries: Find One In Malvern

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” - Ernest Hemingway

Around town, in front of churches, in front yards between trees, along lonesome country roads with nothing but a farmhouse in sight, little free libraries are popping up.

The idea is exactly what it sounds like: a small wooden box, often painted and shaped like a schoolhouse, propped up on a post, with two shelves inside. Sometimes there is a glass door.

Anyone can take a book, anyone can leave a book.

There are usually a dozen or two dozen books, donated from other readers and literacy advocates that see the shelves.

It all started in 2009:

In the beginning Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it. He built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that said FREE BOOKS. Rick Brooks of UW-Madison saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential social enterprises. Together, the two saw opportunities to achieve a variety of goals for the common good. Each brought different skills to the effort. Bol was a creative artisan experienced with innovative enterprise models; Brooks was a youth and community development educator with a background in social marketing.

Since then, the program has rapidly grown.

In the Malvern area, there are two Little Free Libraries:

• 1510 Le Boutillier Road, Malvern
• 21 Grubb Road, Malvern, in Willistown Township’s Greentree Park. This library was installed by the 2nd Grade Brownie Troop 4011 from General Wayne Elementary as a service project for Willistown Parks and Recreation.

To learn more about building your own library, see here.

To find a library in any location around the country, see here.