The “Little Free Library” Movement Comes to Grand Junction

Little Free Library box at 14th Street and Texas Ave.

Little Free Library box at 14th Street and Texas Ave.

LittleParkLibrary

Little Free Library on Little Park Road

In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a small box in the shape of a one room schoolhouse, filled it with books and mounted it on a post in his front yard with a sign that said “FREE BOOKS. Take a book, leave a book.”  People in his neighborhood loved it, and so did his family and friends. Soon other Wisconsinites started putting up little free libraries in their own neighborhoods. The trend soon expanded to other states and countries around the world, and in a few short years the “Little Free Library” movement was born. Bol originally put up his free library box to promote reading for children, literacy for adults and to help people see the value of libraries in general.

Little free libraries are here!

Now the Little Free Library movement has come to Grand Junction. Free Library boxes have  been spotted on Little Park Road, and on 14th Street near Texas Ave. The one on Little Park Road is about 1/2 mile up from the bottom of the hill,on the east side of the road, near Arroyo Drive. The one on 14th Street is built across two tree stumps and has a nice bench next to it for those perusing the free books.

Closer view of Little Park Little Free Library box shows it has a bicycle theme

Closer view of Little Park Little Free Library box shows it has a bicycle theme, with a seat and sprocket wheel at the top

Free Library Boxes can be built from scratch using new materials, or made by repurposing items like an old cabinet or microwave oven, or people can purchase ready-made Free Library boxes in artistic shapes and sizes from a catalog at LittleFreeLibrary.org. If you decide to put one up in your own neighborhood, you can become part of the worldwide network of Free Library boxes by registering it and getting your box listed on a world-wide map of Little Free Libraries at the same site.

How many more will crop up in Grand Junction? We’ll just have to wait and see.

 

 

  1 comment for “The “Little Free Library” Movement Comes to Grand Junction

  1. I have some great reads to donate to the Little Libraries if I can find them.
    Has anyone mapped these Little Libraries?

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