Simple Idea Spread Worldwide In 5 Years
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My wife’s cousin is an entrepreneurial sort of guy who enjoys helping others. In 2009 he built a mailbox-sized wood structure, decorated it to look like a miniature library, and placed it on a post in front of his Hudson, Wis. home. Inside were a few books that people could borrow and return at their leisure. It was Todd Bol’s special tribute to his Mom, who’d been a teacher.
The next spring, when Bol and his family held a garage sale, people who came to rummage through stuff for sale were intrigued by his “Little Free Library” (LFL), especially the idea of borrowing a book and returning it later.
Bol says he had no visions of worldwide acceptance when he placed that first LFL in front of his house. It just seemed to him like a good idea to honor his mother and bring neighbors,
adults and kids together into something meaningful. He soon teamed with Rick Brooks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a goal to build, number and place 2,500 LFLs.
In 2012 the LFL organization was officially registered as a non-profit and its reach spread like wildfire. By 2015 the organization had registered 25,000 Little Free Libraries in 50 states and 70 countries.
The idea has become a worldwide phenomenon, and Bol says in 2014 alone about 36 million books were exchanged in LFLs. The organization is supported by the sale of 22 different LFL kits priced from $175 to $350. They’re made locally by LFL staff, local woodworkers and can also be built by anyone who builds an LFL. A 14-person staff runs the operation, still in Hudson, Wis.
Bol says he’s especially pleased that an idea so small, with such good intentions, has gained so much notoriety. LFL.org registers every LFL built and maintains a registry on its website.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Little Free Library, Ltd., 573 Co. Rd. A, Suite 106, Hudson, Wis. 54016 (ph 715-690-2488; www.littlefreelibrary.org).
Lorn Manthey, Contributing Editor
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Simple Idea Spread Worldwide In 5 Years MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous My wife’s cousin is an entrepreneurial sort of guy who enjoys helping others In 2009 he built a mailbox-sized wood structure decorated it to look like a miniature library and placed it on a post in front of his Hudson Wis home Inside were a few books that people could borrow and return at their leisure It was Todd Bol’s special tribute to his Mom who’d been a teacher The next spring when Bol and his family held a garage sale people who came to rummage through stuff for sale were intrigued by his “Little Free Library” LFL especially the idea of borrowing a book and returning it later Bol says he had no visions of worldwide acceptance when he placed that fi rst LFL in front of his house It just seemed to him like a good idea to honor his mother and bring neighbors adults and kids together into something meaningful He soon teamed with Rick Brooks of the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a goal to build number and place 2 500 LFLs In 2012 the LFL organization was offi cially registered as a non-profi t and its reach spread like wildfi re By 2015 the organization had registered 25 000 Little Free Libraries in 50 states and 70 countries The idea has become a worldwide phenomenon and Bol says in 2014 alone about 36 million books were exchanged in LFLs The organization is supported by the sale of 22 different LFL kits priced from $175 to $350 They’re made locally by LFL staff local woodworkers and can also be built by anyone who builds an LFL A 14-person staff runs the operation still in Hudson Wis Bol says he’s especially pleased that an idea so small with such good intentions has gained so much notoriety LFL org registers every LFL built and maintains a registry on its website Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Little Free Library Ltd 573 Co Rd A Suite 106 Hudson Wis 54016 ph 715 690-2488; www littlefreelibrary org Lorn Manthey Contributing Editor
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