Elevate your everyday with long-lasting jewelry you'll love at prices you'll love even more: shop.analuisa.com/wp-elizabetht And save 20% when you use my code: ELIZABETHT20 ❤ Would you want to be the steward of your own little free library? 📚👀
I also shower with my Ana Luisa earrings and I would say that the gold pieces definitely fade with time. Quite a bummer but you can use a polishing cloth to polish the jewelry and they become silver instead which is better than a faded gold!
This makes me so excited! My neighbor built one in front of our houses a couple years ago and my intake of books has gone way up! Such a wonderful way of providing a circular economy for a community❤📚
Little free libraries are amazing! Here in Norway they have converted almost every single disused phone booth into a free library, which I think is amazing! There are even some in quite small places, like my moms tiny village. I love contributing to them and also having a browse :)
I love that so much! I wish there were more in my town (mine is only the second) 😅 im thinking of reaching out to local schools/businesses/organizations to encourage them to join in with their own LFLs!
Love that you did this. Whenever I can finally afford house, I really want to do this too. Maybe in the future you can do an update video on the library and show what people have put in??
If you are currently renting you can install a library in our front yard by planting one in a giant flower pot. Then when you move into your own house you can take the library there and replant it.
This is so fun! I think having the inserts for every book will be exhausting, and it might be more of a personal touch to just include them on your own books (plus it might encourage people to add their own variations of book marks and reviews rather than relying on yours!)
Emboss them all but leave the notes for your own books, maybe people who donate will have their own messages for readers. Great idea, love seeing your projects come to life :)
I once had a lovely conversation with the owner of my favorite little free library near me. She was obviously a fan of one of my favorite series, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, because copies would show up in there. One day she came out while I was looking through her library and I told her why hers was my favorite. It was the first time I'd ever talked in person with someone about this series I've loved since I was a teenager. It was a very rewarding experience. ❤️📚
Oh my God! I love this concept! Please share the progress of the Little Free Library with us! Donations, additions and what you see is the genre most people on your neighborhood gravitate towards… of course… in a non creepy way 😂😂❤
This is so fantastic!! There are a bunch of these in my neighborhood and I always love looking through them when I'm on a walk. So excited for you guys!!
Aw thank you! We're only the second little library in town but hopefully more will pop up over time. I've been thinking of reaching out to some local organizations to let them know about the program, too ❤
I love this! I frequently add books to LFL’s in my area. Since there are currently SO many book bans being presented to the schools here, I’ve changed my book donation to banned books. So, while you don’t necessarily read kids books, adding a few kids books that are ruffling feathers may be a good add to your LFL too.
I am also a LFL Steward. I built my library from a used kitchen cabinet that I bought from the Habitat For Humanity Restore. All I had to do was build a roof for it and add a window in the door. As for your question about stamping books I stamp all of the books that show up in my library to try and keep them from being sold in the future.
If I was perusing your little free library and came across the sticker + embossed page, I'd be so excited! I think it's a lovely idea. I adore this program and hope to be a free little library steward one day! 📚
This is also my dream! So cute and satisfying! Something that might help you with the used book buying is library sales. Our local has 2 per year of donations collected throughout the year and there's always great things (lots in perfect condition) for cheap and you support the library programs ❤ great job guys it's lovely
I’m sure this will bring so much joy to many readers & readers-to-be! What a gift to share. I love using the app to find LFLs in new areas as well as adding to my local ones. Congrats on becoming a literacy steward!
That was amazing! I wish little free libraries were a thing in my country or in my town. I think it's a wonderful way to promote reading and to share with everyone else.
The Little Free Library started in my state (Wisconsin) not just THE States. I’m very proud of it. We’ve had them from the inception. My little village has three of them! And they are loved.
I would add the embossing and stickers in all of the books going through the little library, but I'd write "Donated by: Johnathan", or something like that. If you don't know who swopped a book there, just write, "Donated by: A Well-Read Neighbor" or some cute variation of that.
This is so cool! Good for y'all! Once a book is donated, it is the "property" of the library. You, as the steward, can do whatever you want with it. At least that is how I see it. The information you add to the inside cover is for the reader, not the donor. If I am trying to decide on a book, I appreciate all the information I can get on it. You don't have to complete the info, and maybe ask your borrowers if they would write out on a separate piece of paper what they thought of the book? 📖
I love this video! I saw a similar little lend library many years ago and always wanted to have one. Love that you built your own and can't wait to get an update on how it goes 🤩📚💌
I think the little stickers and information card in the inside is amazing. I think you should do it for any books that you get whether you buy them from library sale or Neighbor donate some if you’ve read the book or know anything about it, put it in more information is helpful than none. Good luck. I’m so excited for you.
This is so amazing! Can imagine it would be a really magical thing to spot as a child as well! I love the personal touch of the inserts and the idea of being able to trace a book's journey around the community.
You should do a second one with canned food and toiletries as a Little Free Pantry and check with your local Habitat for Humanity because they always sell stuff that they have left over from one home to help fund the next home. You can get wood, screws, nails, windows, etc… You get the idea. 😊
📖 so cute ! We have them here as well, but somehow i always assumed people don't really take books from there. Would be really cool to see an update in a little bit on whether people use it a lot and how it's going. Definitely such a cool project!
i just came across this video after seeing a post on facebook about a similar idea but for art! i'm also in toronto so i think a little free art share library would be really cool too!
This is a wonderful idea. And your little library is adorable! I would suggest to keep it uniformed and have that personal touch to include them on the books. You can let people know if they donate to include an index card with that information and then you can place the cards inside.
If I were you I would use the embossers on all the new books that arrive in your little free library, but the stickers only on the ones you’ve read (or once it’s done 😉) yourself…!
I absolutely love little free libraries!! I always wanted to have one myself but I live in an apartment that I rent so I sadly can't :( but I do think about maybe talking to the landlords and the neighbors to make one anyways together!! Maybe they'll allow it :)
Oeh this is so fun!! Maybe I want to set this up for my appartment building 😁 Please keep us updated how it goes! Maybe an update video in a month’s time? 😉
since you are adding the information about books from your own perspective, maybe you can ask other donors to be kind enough to take the time and fill out your little information stickers, so in this way, each book has an info sticker from its original owner. :)
Sidenote now that I actually finished the entire vid! I've got a spare second hand copy of book 1 and book 2 of NK Jemison's fifth season series (I still need to dig into my box set and get going on this series) would you like them for your LFL? I'd be happy to contribute them 📚🖤
That's a very handsome little free library. Bravos. If you can keep up with donations, yes, I think putting your library card and sticker in them is a nice touch. But I don't think you can put in trigger warnings or descriptions on books you haven't read. So you should say "unknown" for those categories. I do think you are likely to receive a lot of anonymous donations, especially if your neighbor talks to other neighbors. Nicely done.
This is so cool! My hometown has several of these, and they spread so much joy. Yours looks fantastic! You're going to be a great librarian, too. Yours will be so beautifully curated! (Also, what kind of weirdo *doesn't* have a favorite paper shop? What are they even doing with their lives?!) 📘
Hello ! It’s thé first time I’m commenting a video 😮 I think it’s a great idea and I love how passionate you are about it. I live in France and I don’t think we have a specific association (and I live in a city) so usually the city or the neighbourhood is managing them. Anyway, I always love them and almost all my novels are gifts, from other people or from these little free library and for a person that doesn’t read a lot it’s more than enough 😊 personally, I love being surprised by a story but I find it sometimes difficult to choose if I don’t know the author so your cards are a great idea. I hope to find one of your books someday, somewhere on earth 🤩☺️
This is so cute! At my last apartment, there was a Little Free Library next door that we made a lot of use of! I don't think the neighbors did much to maintain the box itself (the side wall was knocked off more than once), but my roommates and I all worked in book-related jobs at the time, so we were constantly scoping it out and adding books that we were done with. And then we would just put an overflow box on our front lawn for people to take, but I really want to open one of my own someday! 📚
I'm so excited for you and your little free library! You and your husband took such great care in this project and it's so clear it was a labor of love for you both. I actually got a copy of Braiding Sweetgrass from a Little Free Library in my neighborhood and I'm currently reading it! I also agree with another comment that having the inserts be in your own books may encourage others to do the same and put their own spin on it.
That is amazing! I love little free libraries. I would at least stamp them even if the books didn't come from you with your library info. Granted I live in a big city, but the ones around here that don't stamp have people driving up and emptying them to sell them. Since a few started, they now are usually stocked! I hope we get updates, I always love seeing what's inside!
Perhaps it could be cool to put the embosser on a string and mail it to the inside of the box so someone can choose to emboss a book that you didn’t put in there.
A note saying that if a donator wants it embossed, to leave it at your front door instead would work almost as well, but would eliminate the chance of someone stealing it.@@PlantBasedBride
This is such an exciting and heartwarming update 🥰 there a couple of little free libraries in the neighbourhood I grew up in and I remember begging my parents to alter our route to my dance and swim practices so we could stop by 😂 also voting yes to adding in stickers (at least for the books you've read)!
I am obsessed with the personalization you did for the books and the care and extra mile you did for them! This creates such a unique experience that makes it memorable!
Oh my gosh!!! What a great idea, and to actually follow through with it! How generous with sharing your time and books. You will have to update from time to time so we can hear how it is working out! I hope it might start a chain reaction in your commumity!
I suggest to you that you can put a little instructions inside and a little note with some color coding and petitions for books, so pleople could write "I want to read "blablabla" and them, for example, if another one has that book, they can put a signal on that note following the color code to mark they have it and they will bring it for that person. Let's say pink for example. If I want to read LOTR for example, I write it down in the section inside. And another person passes by and see my note and has the book, so they grab the pink marker (you can leave a set of markers inside for people too) and makes a little pink circle on my note to let me know someone saw it and will bring that book in the future. So I can stay alert for it to appear ^^ I don't know if this makes any sense... but it makes sense to me. Because I saw some of these libraries on many countries but the books in there never said anything to me or grab my attention, but if you can let know people wich books you want to read, people will maybe bring it if they know this.
This is very very wholesome and such a nice gesture! To be honest I read exclusively online, and don’t own many books, but if there was one close to me I’d buy books just to put them there. I’ll see if this is a thing in my country and if I can contribute, what a wonderful thing
Last year, as we renovated our house, we sorted a lot of books out to donate. But the library in our hometown couldn't take all of them and so we installed a pretty improvised "bookshop" in form of a shelf at our terasse. Everyone was free to take a book or more. And in a few days a lot of the books were gone and sometimes the people left little gifts for us or brought some books. It was never planed, but so wonderful to see. And we came in touch with so many people in this time. I might build my own little library in the future. This experience was amazing. And I love your little library! And I think you should give all the books one of the adorable little library cards - they are wonderful. I love your dedication to details.
I have been following you for a few weeks now, thank you RUclips for the suggestion of your channel, and this is my first comment, but I so love the idea and I love this kind of little free libraries, unfortunately back in Paris suburb where I lived until two years ago, people are not respectful and some were damaged or even burned. I cannot even process the fact that someone would do that… I adore the concept of the little free libraries and oh my gosh I love that you bought those library cards, now that a lot of things are digital I miss some random things like these library cards that would be filled out when you would borrow a book! 📚
📚 I love this! There one not far from my home and I will often walk past just to see what's new - I have taken to carrying a book in my handbag so I have something to swap if I find something I want in the library ❤
I think it's past if it's possible you can add it to all the books but of course I don't know how how much time that would take and I know it add to it
I work for a house builder in the UK and we try to put these in most developments! So so cute! Some event get local artists to decorate them, they’re gorgeous!
The non-profit is now based out of Minnesota but they started in Hudson, Wisconsin. Just FYI. We’re kind of proud of that. (No it was our senator who started Earth Day. Wisconsin used to be pretty progressive!)
I love this so much! I have plans for my own since I moved into my boyfriend's house, but it's been a year and hasn't happened yet. I didn't know you could order pre-made ones so that might make it easier, if a little less charming.
So adorably cute! My village and the ones around have a lot of them, but they've only got Dutch books so I never borrow one (coincidentally enough I now am reading a Dutch book by my favorite Dutch author). I'll also be making a free library for the tiny house neighbourhood my soon-to-be new neighbours and I are building in co-creation with the city's municipality. Cannot wait to make- and fill it ❤
I have 3 in walking distance of my home, and I know there are more in the neighbourhood. I love dropping off books, but so far I’ve only ever borrowed one. Yours looks lovely.
Such an amazing project ! I'd love to hear more about your Little Free Library in the future, know if more books are added and if it works well. Thank you for sharing this great experience with us ❤📚
There is a Little Library in my neighborhood. It is very rewarding for me, even though I am not the builder, to see books that I donate gone within a few days. Congratulations on completing this lovely goal.
I love that you are doing this and I love all your levels of excitement!! I hope you let us know how it goes and all, please! The library is so cute and I'm loving the stickers (and I agree with other comments: embossing all, stickers on the books you have read already).
I bet curating your little library will be so fun!! You did such a great job. I’ve visited a few little libraries that unfortunately got water inside that caused moldy books so I’m glad yours will be safe
Cute LFL! I love your enthusiasm. I got a LFL stamp so the books wouldn't be taken by a re-seller. Did the library card system work in your LFL? I am not sure how cards will be useful - any book taken has a new owner and might be kept forever or traded to a different LFL, even in a different city. So you might not see them again.
I live on a busy street with a fence surrounding the front yard and marking our property line. I have wanted to do this for years but alas…. not good placement for one. We do have several in the neighborhood though. I have thousands of books in the house but when I visit others boxes, they tend to be full of junk books that I don’t think anyone would want. This has motivated me though, perhaps I will start taking obvious duds and replacing them with mine. Then I could donate what I take, although even Goodwill would probably just toss them.
I have seen some people who have the library inside of the fenced in yard and they have either the library taller than the fence or they shorten the fence right where the library is. That way you can still access it from the sidewalk.
This is random, but I saw your Anne of Green Gables set. I recently found out that America and Canada have an abridged version of Anne of Windy Poplars. First, it was named Anne of Windy Willows. The publisher thought people would confuse it with The Wind in the Willows. Second, they somehow thought some of the content was too dark. It's L.M. Montgomery, how dark can it get, right? Anyway, just a little random book nerd trivia. I purchased a set with Windy Willows, but I haven't read it yet.
I'm not sure if you still do this but i wanted to mention, at least here in the states, some people actually _look specifically_ for annotated and tabbed books. So don't feel the need to remove your marks on a book you place in the library. It is a sign of being well loved and having something worth tabbing. Almost is just a convincing as a back summary since people are known to scan what was marked to gauge interest
It's always polite to ask previous owners if they are expecting the books back. If they are, then maybe ask if you can emboss and add a library card. Another thing you can check is maybe research the books at first? What if there were books with certain trigger warnings and yet you haven't read them or know about its contents? It's good to have consistency on the purpose of having the library ❤
We started stamping LFL books after someone started selling books on Facebook from our LFLs. We had a whole set of Rick Riordan books that he took without leaving anything. We didn't want one person ruining things for the kids and setting a bad example. 📖
I love this so much! I'm so happy to see someone talk us through this process. While I'm aware of Little Free Libraries, I've never known how they came to be. I've also had thoughts about doing my own, but never knew where or how to start. Congratulations! Your Little Free Library is beautiful. 📚📚
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Would you want to be the steward of your own little free library? 📚👀
I also shower with my Ana Luisa earrings and I would say that the gold pieces definitely fade with time. Quite a bummer but you can use a polishing cloth to polish the jewelry and they become silver instead which is better than a faded gold!
This makes me so excited! My neighbor built one in front of our houses a couple years ago and my intake of books has gone way up! Such a wonderful way of providing a circular economy for a community❤📚
So true! I’m really excited to keep putting more books I love in there and seeing what books others are donating, too ❤️
Little free libraries are amazing! Here in Norway they have converted almost every single disused phone booth into a free library, which I think is amazing! There are even some in quite small places, like my moms tiny village. I love contributing to them and also having a browse :)
I love that so much! I wish there were more in my town (mine is only the second) 😅 im thinking of reaching out to local schools/businesses/organizations to encourage them to join in with their own LFLs!
They are also using the red phone booths in the UK as libraries.
Love that you did this. Whenever I can finally afford house, I really want to do this too.
Maybe in the future you can do an update video on the library and show what people have put in??
That would be so fun! I’d love to do an update at some point ❤️
If you are currently renting you can install a library in our front yard by planting one in a giant flower pot. Then when you move into your own house you can take the library there and replant it.
This is so fun! I think having the inserts for every book will be exhausting, and it might be more of a personal touch to just include them on your own books (plus it might encourage people to add their own variations of book marks and reviews rather than relying on yours!)
please update us on how people use it and how you rotate your collection. I wanna see your journey as a new librarian!
I love that idea! I can definitely update y’all after a while ❤️
Emboss them all but leave the notes for your own books, maybe people who donate will have their own messages for readers. Great idea, love seeing your projects come to life :)
I once had a lovely conversation with the owner of my favorite little free library near me. She was obviously a fan of one of my favorite series, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, because copies would show up in there. One day she came out while I was looking through her library and I told her why hers was my favorite. It was the first time I'd ever talked in person with someone about this series I've loved since I was a teenager. It was a very rewarding experience. ❤️📚
Oh my God! I love this concept! Please share the progress of the Little Free Library with us! Donations, additions and what you see is the genre most people on your neighborhood gravitate towards… of course… in a non creepy way 😂😂❤
This is so fantastic!! There are a bunch of these in my neighborhood and I always love looking through them when I'm on a walk. So excited for you guys!!
Aw thank you! We're only the second little library in town but hopefully more will pop up over time. I've been thinking of reaching out to some local organizations to let them know about the program, too ❤
We are so inspired! I think I’m going to make a little little free library and a big little free library for the kiddos and the teens and adults!!
I love that! I definitely need to get more kids books to put in there ❤️
I love this! I frequently add books to LFL’s in my area. Since there are currently SO many book bans being presented to the schools here, I’ve changed my book donation to banned books. So, while you don’t necessarily read kids books, adding a few kids books that are ruffling feathers may be a good add to your LFL too.
I am also a LFL Steward. I built my library from a used kitchen cabinet that I bought from the Habitat For Humanity Restore. All I had to do was build a roof for it and add a window in the door. As for your question about stamping books I stamp all of the books that show up in my library to try and keep them from being sold in the future.
If I was perusing your little free library and came across the sticker + embossed page, I'd be so excited! I think it's a lovely idea. I adore this program and hope to be a free little library steward one day! 📚
Aw, thank you! ❤️❤️ I hope you get to be a steward some day, too!
I love that you put the trigger warnings in the books ❤️📚
This is also my dream! So cute and satisfying! Something that might help you with the used book buying is library sales. Our local has 2 per year of donations collected throughout the year and there's always great things (lots in perfect condition) for cheap and you support the library programs ❤ great job guys it's lovely
That's such a great idea! I'll have to ask one of the librarians about it next time I visit the local library ❤
I’m sure this will bring so much joy to many readers & readers-to-be! What a gift to share. I love using the app to find LFLs in new areas as well as adding to my local ones. Congrats on becoming a literacy steward!
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to learn my area’s reading preferences so I can tailor the book selection even more ❤️
That was amazing! I wish little free libraries were a thing in my country or in my town. I think it's a wonderful way to promote reading and to share with everyone else.
Also- a lot of our little libraries take nonperishable food/school supply donations for people who need them which I think is really beautiful
That’s a great idea! I’ll have to talk to some local organizations about what they need ❤️
The Little Free Library started in my state (Wisconsin) not just THE States. I’m very proud of it. We’ve had them from the inception. My little village has three of them! And they are loved.
On Wisconsin!
Love it!! A little free library went up in our neighbourhood a few weeks ago and we were so pumped!
I would add the embossing and stickers in all of the books going through the little library, but I'd write "Donated by: Johnathan", or something like that. If you don't know who swopped a book there, just write, "Donated by: A Well-Read Neighbor" or some cute variation of that.
This is so cool! Good for y'all!
Once a book is donated, it is the "property" of the library. You, as the steward, can do whatever you want with it. At least that is how I see it. The information you add to the inside cover is for the reader, not the donor. If I am trying to decide on a book, I appreciate all the information I can get on it. You don't have to complete the info, and maybe ask your borrowers if they would write out on a separate piece of paper what they thought of the book?
📖
I love this video! I saw a similar little lend library many years ago and always wanted to have one. Love that you built your own and can't wait to get an update on how it goes 🤩📚💌
I think the little stickers and information card in the inside is amazing. I think you should do it for any books that you get whether you buy them from library sale or Neighbor donate some if you’ve read the book or know anything about it, put it in more information is helpful than none. Good luck. I’m so excited for you.
This is so amazing! Can imagine it would be a really magical thing to spot as a child as well! I love the personal touch of the inserts and the idea of being able to trace a book's journey around the community.
You should do a second one with canned food and toiletries as a Little Free Pantry and check with your local Habitat for Humanity because they always sell stuff that they have left over from one home to help fund the next home. You can get wood, screws, nails, windows, etc… You get the idea. 😊
📚 📕 📖
That is where my LFL came from. I made mine from a used kitchen cabinet I bought there.
I didn't know about little free libraries, that's an amazing idea, yours turned out so pretty! Your love for reading and books is so inspiring to me
This is so exciting! I hope lots of people get to enjoy the wonderful stories you want to share 📚 🐛
📖 so cute ! We have them here as well, but somehow i always assumed people don't really take books from there. Would be really cool to see an update in a little bit on whether people use it a lot and how it's going. Definitely such a cool project!
i just came across this video after seeing a post on facebook about a similar idea but for art! i'm also in toronto so i think a little free art share library would be really cool too!
I’m so excited for you and your little free library! It’s such a brilliant idea!! 😍💕
I have always wanted a little free library. Maybe you have motivated me to do this for my neighborhood. Thanks for sharing!!
You totally should! It’s such a lovely way to engage with and support your community ❤️
I love the time, effort and thought you have put into this. 😍
Congratulations!! I love seeing these when I'm out and about but admittedly, I need to be careful when passing them because I love books that much.
this entire project is so DARLING i love everything about it!
I love this so much 📚📚📚
Also you can put other things in the library like magazines, puzzles, card games, CD's, DVD's and Calendars.
This is a wonderful idea. And your little library is adorable! I would suggest to keep it uniformed and have that personal touch to include them on the books. You can let people know if they donate to include an index card with that information and then you can place the cards inside.
I really want to do this myself!
I love it! I wish they would catch on more where I live in a eastern Tennessee. Thank you so much!
If you install one more will show up.
If I were you I would use the embossers on all the new books that arrive in your little free library, but the stickers only on the ones you’ve read (or once it’s done 😉) yourself…!
I like this idea! ❤️
I absolutely love little free libraries!! I always wanted to have one myself but I live in an apartment that I rent so I sadly can't :( but I do think about maybe talking to the landlords and the neighbors to make one anyways together!! Maybe they'll allow it :)
This is so inspiring, I hope we get to use this idea of free books to read and share, in other countries around the world too!
There are currently over 160,000 LFL's all over the world.
Oeh this is so fun!! Maybe I want to set this up for my appartment building 😁
Please keep us updated how it goes! Maybe an update video in a month’s time? 😉
since you are adding the information about books from your own perspective, maybe you can ask other donors to be kind enough to take the time and fill out your little information stickers, so in this way, each book has an info sticker from its original owner. :)
I love this idea!
I would love an update on this! ❤❤
Sidenote now that I actually finished the entire vid! I've got a spare second hand copy of book 1 and book 2 of NK Jemison's fifth season series (I still need to dig into my box set and get going on this series) would you like them for your LFL? I'd be happy to contribute them 📚🖤
That's a very handsome little free library. Bravos. If you can keep up with donations, yes, I think putting your library card and sticker in them is a nice touch. But I don't think you can put in trigger warnings or descriptions on books you haven't read. So you should say "unknown" for those categories. I do think you are likely to receive a lot of anonymous donations, especially if your neighbor talks to other neighbors. Nicely done.
This is so cool! My hometown has several of these, and they spread so much joy. Yours looks fantastic! You're going to be a great librarian, too. Yours will be so beautifully curated! (Also, what kind of weirdo *doesn't* have a favorite paper shop? What are they even doing with their lives?!) 📘
Hahaha thank you for validating my paper shop preferences 😂 I planned a whole day of my Toronto trip around visiting it lol
Hello ! It’s thé first time I’m commenting a video 😮 I think it’s a great idea and I love how passionate you are about it. I live in France and I don’t think we have a specific association (and I live in a city) so usually the city or the neighbourhood is managing them. Anyway, I always love them and almost all my novels are gifts, from other people or from these little free library and for a person that doesn’t read a lot it’s more than enough 😊 personally, I love being surprised by a story but I find it sometimes difficult to choose if I don’t know the author so your cards are a great idea. I hope to find one of your books someday, somewhere on earth 🤩☺️
This is so cute! At my last apartment, there was a Little Free Library next door that we made a lot of use of! I don't think the neighbors did much to maintain the box itself (the side wall was knocked off more than once), but my roommates and I all worked in book-related jobs at the time, so we were constantly scoping it out and adding books that we were done with. And then we would just put an overflow box on our front lawn for people to take, but I really want to open one of my own someday! 📚
Why don't you ask those who donate to your library if they are okay with the embossing and label? That way you can feel at ease knowing their wishes.
Omg I'd love to know what your neighnour donated and what other people will leave!
you could always ask your neighbour if she minds and what her take is about the inside pockets :)
I'm so excited for you and your little free library! You and your husband took such great care in this project and it's so clear it was a labor of love for you both. I actually got a copy of Braiding Sweetgrass from a Little Free Library in my neighborhood and I'm currently reading it!
I also agree with another comment that having the inserts be in your own books may encourage others to do the same and put their own spin on it.
Thank you so much for sharing. I want to make one now.😃📖📚❤️
I would love to have a little free library but I live at a dead end with little traffic so I don't think it would get used
That is amazing! I love little free libraries. I would at least stamp them even if the books didn't come from you with your library info. Granted I live in a big city, but the ones around here that don't stamp have people driving up and emptying them to sell them. Since a few started, they now are usually stocked! I hope we get updates, I always love seeing what's inside!
Perhaps it could be cool to put the embosser on a string and mail it to the inside of the box so someone can choose to emboss a book that you didn’t put in there.
Oo that is a cool idea! I’d worry a bit about it being taken/broken as it was pretty pricey but it’s definitely something to consider 🤔
A note saying that if a donator wants it embossed, to leave it at your front door instead would work almost as well, but would eliminate the chance of someone stealing it.@@PlantBasedBride
This is such an exciting and heartwarming update 🥰 there a couple of little free libraries in the neighbourhood I grew up in and I remember begging my parents to alter our route to my dance and swim practices so we could stop by 😂 also voting yes to adding in stickers (at least for the books you've read)!
I am obsessed with the personalization you did for the books and the care and extra mile you did for them! This creates such a unique experience that makes it memorable!
Oh my gosh!!! What a great idea, and to actually follow through with it! How generous with sharing your time and books. You will have to update from time to time so we can hear how it is working out! I hope it might start a chain reaction in your commumity!
I suggest to you that you can put a little instructions inside and a little note with some color coding and petitions for books, so pleople could write "I want to read "blablabla" and them, for example, if another one has that book, they can put a signal on that note following the color code to mark they have it and they will bring it for that person.
Let's say pink for example. If I want to read LOTR for example, I write it down in the section inside. And another person passes by and see my note and has the book, so they grab the pink marker (you can leave a set of markers inside for people too) and makes a little pink circle on my note to let me know someone saw it and will bring that book in the future. So I can stay alert for it to appear ^^
I don't know if this makes any sense... but it makes sense to me. Because I saw some of these libraries on many countries but the books in there never said anything to me or grab my attention, but if you can let know people wich books you want to read, people will maybe bring it if they know this.
This is very very wholesome and such a nice gesture! To be honest I read exclusively online, and don’t own many books, but if there was one close to me I’d buy books just to put them there. I’ll see if this is a thing in my country and if I can contribute, what a wonderful thing
There are over 160,000 LFL's all over the world.
off topic but what lipstick do you wear?
Last year, as we renovated our house, we sorted a lot of books out to donate. But the library in our hometown couldn't take all of them and so we installed a pretty improvised "bookshop" in form of a shelf at our terasse. Everyone was free to take a book or more. And in a few days a lot of the books were gone and sometimes the people left little gifts for us or brought some books. It was never planed, but so wonderful to see. And we came in touch with so many people in this time.
I might build my own little library in the future. This experience was amazing.
And I love your little library! And I think you should give all the books one of the adorable little library cards - they are wonderful. I love your dedication to details.
That sounds amazing! It’s lovely to be reminded how kind and reciprocal people can be ❤️
And thank you! 🥹❤️❤️
I have been following you for a few weeks now, thank you RUclips for the suggestion of your channel, and this is my first comment, but I so love the idea and I love this kind of little free libraries, unfortunately back in Paris suburb where I lived until two years ago, people are not respectful and some were damaged or even burned. I cannot even process the fact that someone would do that… I adore the concept of the little free libraries and oh my gosh I love that you bought those library cards, now that a lot of things are digital I miss some random things like these library cards that would be filled out when you would borrow a book! 📚
That’s so sad 😔 I hope you can have one someday ❤️
📚 I love this! There one not far from my home and I will often walk past just to see what's new - I have taken to carrying a book in my handbag so I have something to swap if I find something I want in the library ❤
That’s wonderful 🥰
I watched this while building mine. It still needs some painting and other finishing, but I'm very excited to put it up in the next week!
I think it's past if it's possible you can add it to all the books but of course I don't know how how much time that would take and I know it add to it
I use my ex Libris stamp on all of my books and have been waiting to grab a book with someone else’s stamp or embossment!
Aw that’s awesome!
Yes add the free library info on ALL books as they donate. TFS Be Blessed.📚
I work for a house builder in the UK and we try to put these in most developments! So so cute! Some event get local artists to decorate them, they’re gorgeous!
I saw that in the UK they have been turning your red phone booths into libraries.
The non-profit is now based out of Minnesota but they started in Hudson, Wisconsin. Just FYI. We’re kind of proud of that. (No it was our senator who started Earth Day. Wisconsin used to be pretty progressive!)
I love this so much! I have plans for my own since I moved into my boyfriend's house, but it's been a year and hasn't happened yet. I didn't know you could order pre-made ones so that might make it easier, if a little less charming.
Lovely idea! You could always personalize one with paint or other materials :)
You can order ones that you can paint yourself which adds a bit of customization ❤️
You can even make one from a used newspaper box that you find abandoned in your city.
So adorably cute! My village and the ones around have a lot of them, but they've only got Dutch books so I never borrow one (coincidentally enough I now am reading a Dutch book by my favorite Dutch author). I'll also be making a free library for the tiny house neighbourhood my soon-to-be new neighbours and I are building in co-creation with the city's municipality. Cannot wait to make- and fill it ❤
Is your favourite stationery shop Wonder Pens? 😍
Imho - no to the inserts
I have 3 in walking distance of my home, and I know there are more in the neighbourhood. I love dropping off books, but so far I’ve only ever borrowed one. Yours looks lovely.
You could leave a stack of blank stickers that people who donate the books can fill out!
That’s an awesome idea!
Such an amazing project ! I'd love to hear more about your Little Free Library in the future, know if more books are added and if it works well. Thank you for sharing this great experience with us ❤📚
There is a Little Library in my neighborhood. It is very rewarding for me, even though I am not the builder, to see books that I donate gone within a few days. Congratulations on completing this lovely goal.
Hey, new subscriber here. What are some of your favorite books?
Oh you listed some at the end nevermind lol
I've been obsessed with Little Free Libraries for AGES. I just wish I could figure out a way to curate one from my 2nd-floor apartment...
See if your apartment complex will let you put one out on the front lawn.
I really enjoyed watching your video. What a great idea to share your love for reading with your neighbourhood...📚
I love that you are doing this and I love all your levels of excitement!! I hope you let us know how it goes and all, please! The library is so cute and I'm loving the stickers (and I agree with other comments: embossing all, stickers on the books you have read already).
Adore the cards!! Super helpful for new readers or folk looking quickly. I am so jelly 🥰
I bet curating your little library will be so fun!! You did such a great job. I’ve visited a few little libraries that unfortunately got water inside that caused moldy books so I’m glad yours will be safe
Cute LFL! I love your enthusiasm. I got a LFL stamp so the books wouldn't be taken by a re-seller. Did the library card system work in your LFL? I am not sure how cards will be useful - any book taken has a new owner and might be kept forever or traded to a different LFL, even in a different city. So you might not see them again.
I live on a busy street with a fence surrounding the front yard and marking our property line. I have wanted to do this for years but alas…. not good placement for one. We do have several in the neighborhood though. I have thousands of books in the house but when I visit others boxes, they tend to be full of junk books that I don’t think anyone would want. This has motivated me though, perhaps I will start taking obvious duds and replacing them with mine. Then I could donate what I take, although even Goodwill would probably just toss them.
That sounds like an awesome idea! I definitely want to make sure our LFL is full of awesome books ❤️
I have seen some people who have the library inside of the fenced in yard and they have either the library taller than the fence or they shorten the fence right where the library is. That way you can still access it from the sidewalk.
This is random, but I saw your Anne of Green Gables set. I recently found out that America and Canada have an abridged version of Anne of Windy Poplars. First, it was named Anne of Windy Willows. The publisher thought people would confuse it with The Wind in the Willows. Second, they somehow thought some of the content was too dark. It's L.M. Montgomery, how dark can it get, right?
Anyway, just a little random book nerd trivia. I purchased a set with Windy Willows, but I haven't read it yet.
I'm not sure if you still do this but i wanted to mention, at least here in the states, some people actually _look specifically_ for annotated and tabbed books. So don't feel the need to remove your marks on a book you place in the library. It is a sign of being well loved and having something worth tabbing. Almost is just a convincing as a back summary since people are known to scan what was marked to gauge interest
It's always polite to ask previous owners if they are expecting the books back. If they are, then maybe ask if you can emboss and add a library card. Another thing you can check is maybe research the books at first? What if there were books with certain trigger warnings and yet you haven't read them or know about its contents? It's good to have consistency on the purpose of having the library ❤
Im obsessed with the level of detail you went to with your LFL! Id love to come visit it and drop some goodies off.
Add the stickers to everything (at least books you’ve read)! It would be so cute and helpful
We started stamping LFL books after someone started selling books on Facebook from our LFLs. We had a whole set of Rick Riordan books that he took without leaving anything. We didn't want one person ruining things for the kids and setting a bad example. 📖
I love this so much! I'm so happy to see someone talk us through this process. While I'm aware of Little Free Libraries, I've never known how they came to be. I've also had thoughts about doing my own, but never knew where or how to start. Congratulations! Your Little Free Library is beautiful. 📚📚
Love it!
Congrats Elizabeth, such an amazing project!!! 📚